The Twelve Days of Christmas
by Miss Snooze
Summary: As always a PDLD... AU and a bit OOC... Janurary 3rd... In the other end of campus, to be more precise in Finn’s dorm, Colin was watching Logan pace. He always enjoyed seeing Logan get worked up, especially when he was absolutely sure that he had nothing
1. A Partridge In a Pear Tree

**A/N:** Yes, I know... I promised to finish my other story, and instead I start a new one (we hear those words so often don't we?)... However, I do intend to finish 'It still matters' during January, I just got inspired... This was really supposed to be posted during the twelve days of Christmas (25th of December-5th of January) but I won't be able to... We'll be at my mom's for Christmas, and then at my in-laws for a couple of days, so it will be posted whenever I have the time to... Happy holidays...

**A Partridge in a Pear Tree**

They had finally been able to leave their family obligations, and had met up at Yale as soon as possible. It was 8 in the evening on December 25. and they had just stopped for coffee on their way to the pub. Finn Morgan was dreamingly looking at a pretty brunette, who was standing further up the queue, and wondering why she wasn't home for Christmas. She was wearing a red coat that ended just over her knees, and light brown boots. Between the coat and the boots, he could glimpse a pair of black, woolen pantyhose. Topping it off was a striped, multi-colored hat and scarf. She was impatiently tapping her food while waiting for her coffee, she had a book in one hand, and a light brown leather book bag over her shoulder. Her beautiful deep blue eyes were following every movement made by the barista, and it amused him to se her frown when she was asked if she took anything in her coffee.

"Yeah, coffee." She replied in a confused voice.

He was about to laugh loudly, but he settled for a big smile, so that his friends wouldn't notice. However, Logan turned to look at him just in that moment, and caught a glimpse of Finn's amused expression. Colin was still arguing with him passionately, without noticing that he no longer had Logan's attention. Logan was instead focusing on Finn.

"What are you looking at?" Logan questioned him with a look in the same direction as Finn.

Logan looked at the people in the queue, there was an elderly couple, and a tall, amiable looking guy who looked slightly familiar. There was no one who Finn should take such an interest in, no cute girls, and no funny looking faces. Then he saw her, a pretty, brown-haired girl, who had been hidden from his view by the tall guy who she was deep in conversation with. She was looking up at the guy with an engrossed look, and then she laughed at something he said with a sound like a thousand little ringing bells. She was not what he normally would pick as being Finn's type. She looked like one of those intelligent girls that actually cared about what they were truing to knock into peoples heads in this bloody institution. Logan looked back at Finn with a feeling that he had missed something.

"Finn?" He said again, since it seemed he had not gained contact the first time.

"Yeah mate," Finn was saying in a somewhat dreamy voice.

"Saw something you liked?" Logan said with a smirk to his Australian friend.

"Huh?" Finn had followed the girl with his eyes until she turned a corner, and now he was pulled out of his trance by Logan's voice. It was not like him to get bewitched like that by a girl, but there had been something special about her. Colin was now shouting at Logan again, this time because he hadn't paid attention. Finn shook his head and smiled, and shaking of the effects of the unknown girl, he joined his friends' conversation.

* * *

Rory Gilmore had finished her last exam the day before, evil as the people who decided the dates of exams seemed to be, it was on December 24, though this year it didn't really matter, since she hadn't been celebrating Christmas with her mother anyway. Lorelai and Luke were on their honeymoon, and Rory were going to stay at Yale, and celebrate Christmas with the Jewish Paris. Marty had also stayed as moral support, and since he didn't have enough money to go home. Since his exams were over on the 10 he had brought her coffee and Take-Out during her long study sessions, and he had made sure that she ate and slept. _He had been a really good friend _she thought as she looked up at him while he paid for his coffee, but deep in her consciousness a voice roared at her that he wanted more, and that she didn't. But as always, she just shrugged the feeling off. She returned her attention to the story Marty was telling her, he had been bartending at a party last week and was imitating a very drunk, upper class guy who had chased around everything with breasts and a pulse. None of them noticed the dark-haired guy who were eying them with an amused smile, they just turned the corner on their was back to their dorm, Marty telling stories and doing his best to make her laugh. He knew that Christmas without her mother had been hard on her, and hoped that he had made it just a bit easier.

Suddenly, on a whim, Rory got an idea. She wanted something to tell her mother when she got home, and for some reason she felt that going to the Yale campus pub and getting drunk for the first time since her 21st birthday was the thing to do. Her mother would love that, hell, she loved anything that made Rory seem like a normal college student. She had been having a trip lately, complaining how she was not able to live viscerally through her daughter as a mother was supposed to. Rory frowned, her mother just wanted her to live, and for exiting things to happen to her, but she was not too good at opening the door to the possibilities.

"Let's go to the pub," she suggested as Marty stopped talking for a moment. He looked at her with confusion, it was not exactly something one heard Rory say too often.

"Ehh, okay," he shrugged.

He had hoped for a movie-night, it would be an obvious possibility for him to take their relationship to another level. She was lonely on Christmas, and he would be there to support her, be her rock, and hopefully get to comfort her a bit. When she suggested the pub, it took him by surprise, but he just had to make the best out of the cards he were dealt. They proceeded towards the pub in silence, while he was silently cursing her sudden idea of growing a sense of adventure. When they got there, he took her coat and went to get then a table, and she went to get then the first drinks.

* * *

Finn, Logan, and Colin entered in the same moment that Rory walked to the bar. The first thing Finn noticed as he stepped through the door was her, and she caused his stomach to take a small leap. She was no longer wearing the coat, and he looked her over quickly. The coat had hidden her clothes, and how slender she really was. She wore a denim skirt, and a tight, coffee-colored, knitted sweater with a pattern of snowflakes. He smiled wide.

"I'll buy the first round mates.," he said just as Logan turned to look at him.

"Aren't that your little girlfriend from the coffee stand" Logan shot at him but Finn had already left for the bar.

"That was quick," Colin muttered grumpily. Stephanie had just called to say that she couldn't escape her parents and he was disappointed. He had hoped to get a Hey-let's-celebrate-Christmas-lay, but now chances seemed to be slim. "Don't we normally have to argue about who buys the first round?"

Logan shook his head, normally Colin would have been thrilled that he didn't have to buy, but today he was being impossible. Logan knew exactly what Colin was grumpy about, but he didn't like to think about it, after all Steph was his cousin, and he loved her as a sister. To be honest, he hated the fact that she had a, no strings attached, relationship with Colin.

"It's the girl", he motioned towards Finn and the girl in the bar, and it seemed he had already chatted her up. "He saw her in the line at the coffee stand, and he got all dreamy-eyed."

Colin turned his attention to Finn, and grinned impishly at Logan.

"Are you up for a bet?" Logan looked at him with interest and smirked back.

"Always!"

Rory gave the bartender a smile, when he turned to serve for her. He looked as if he would rather be anywhere else, and she felt sorry for him, working on Christmas couldn't be too fun.

"Could I have two beers please," she said.

* * *

The bartender shot her a look, and stopped moving in anticipation. After a break that seemed to last forever, and gave Rory the feeling that she had been caught in the act of pretending that she did this often, the bartender sighed.

"What kind?" he sounded like he was talking to a small child.

Rory heard a chuckle behind her and a deep, amused voice with an Australian accent addressed first the bartender and then her.

"I'll have two Miller's and a Foster's", she turned to look at him as he lowered his voice "I'd recommend the Foster's, Australians are the best brewers in the world you know".

Behind her was a dark-haired guy around her own age, and he looked at her with a mischievous glint in his green eyes. He was just a bit taller than her, and was now leaning comfortably on the counter next to her, and behind him at one of the tables close to the door, she could see two guys looking up at them. They looked like they had just come in, and as she returned her attention to the Australian in front of her she noticed that he was still wearing a coat and that his face seemed to glow from the cold outside.

"I'll have two Foster's, please," she said to the bartender, who was now putting the Australians order in front of him.

"On me" the Aussie smiled at her as he said it "I'm Finn Morgan"

Rory took his outstretched hand.

"Rory… Gilmore"

He lifted her slender hand and kissed it, while his eyes never left hers.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Gilmore."

Normally Rory would have found a gesture like that ridiculous, but when he did it, it seemed almost normal. She was struck by something in his eyes, a sincerity that she had never expected to find in the eyes of a guy she met in a bar. He smiled at her slightly, and let go of her hand.

"So, is it just beverages you have problems ordering? Or is it other things also?" his smile grew along with her confusion.

"Sorry?" she said, completely bewildered.

"I think I stood in line behind you at a coffee cart 10 minutes ago" he now grinned openly "I think most normal people would just say no when asked whether they take anything in their coffee."

"Sane people wouldn't ask." She smiled triumphantly.

"Touché" he grinned back "so Miss Gilmore, would you like to join us".

He made an over exaggerated movement with his arm towards the table where the two guys were sitting, and they both gave her a little wave. She only just held back a laugh at the monotonousness of their move, and turned back to Finn.

"Are you sure they're still alive?" she deadpanned.

Finn looked thoughtful. He looked over at the two guys, and saw the stiffness in their salute, he grinned and turned back to Rory again.

"Not always, sometimes I have to pinch them, just to make sure. Would you care to try, it can be quite exhilarating."

He winked at her, and she had to fight a sudden urge to say 'Dirty' just as her mother would have done. Instead, she smiled at him and shook her head lightly.

"I'm afraid I'll have to take a rein check, I have a friend waiting for me." She nudged her head towards Marty.

Finn looked at the guy at the table she motioned towards, he looked somewhat angry, and he couldn't help but feel happy he didn't have to go join him. He was sitting with his arms crossed, and leaned just a little bit too far back in his chair, Finn got an uncomfortable feeling that he had been watching them the whole time.

"I guess you better go join him, he doesn't look like he's having fun."

Rory looked down at Marty, then back to Finn. He could see her roll her eyes as she turned back to him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Rory smiled "It was nice to meet you Mr. Morgan"

"You too Luv, you too!"

* * *

Finn looked after her for a second of two, and then returned to the table where Logan and Colin were sitting. Colin scowled and handed a hundred dollar bill across the table to Logan, who was smirking broadly.

"What was that about?" Finn asked after drinking half his beer in one swig.

"We made a bet" Logan grinned "Colin said you would get her to come with you down here, I said she would shoot you down."

Finn frowned at the both of them, and drank the rest of his beer in another gulp.

"And you're supposed to be my friends" he said, but noticed that both their attentions were on Rory's table.

* * *

She left Finn standing at the bar, and went down to Marty. He looked less than happy with her, as she sat down across from him and slid his beer over to him.

"No thanks," he spat "I wouldn't take a beer from that guy if he offered it to me personally, and I certainly don't want to take it when he bought it for you."

Rory was stunned. _What the hell was his problem? _Her face must have shown her complete confusion, because Marty started speaking again.

"He is one of them, the people I serve to. Remember the guy I just told you about? That's him. He's a player… and a really bad one even. He's nothing but a spoiled rich kid, and he's not worth your time."

Anger started to rise in Rory, she had never liked it when people were judgmental.

"Whatever made you the expert? He was nice to me. And by the way, all he did was to buy us beer."

Marty rose from his chair and pounded his hand in the table in front of her, hard enough to make Rory jump a couple of inches in her chair. She had never seen Marty this angry.

"Damn it Rory, even you can't be that naïve. The only reason he bought you beer, was because he was hoping to score with you."

"Really? Well it takes one to know one, doesn't it" she shouted back at him.

His face slowly turned pale, and he fell back in his chair. For a second or two he just sat there, and then he got up, took his jacket, and left. Rory just sat there, she was stunned, and she couldn't believe what she had just said, or what he had done. She didn't move until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay Kitten?" the Australian accented voice rang close to her ear.

She nodded.

"Did I somehow cause that…" he was searching for the right words "…little outburst of emotion?"

Rory turned to him, his face was closer to her than she had thought, and they almost bumped their noses into each other. He looked mildly concerned, but not exactly sad that Marty left.

"Sort of" Rory couldn't help but smile at him, "he doesn't like you much, you know?"

Finn looked bewildered.

"Does he have a reason not to?"

"I don't know" she smiled, his eyes were very green, and she had the feeling that her knees would've trembled under her if she had been standing up.

"Will you let me prove to you that he hasn't?"

He looked at her, and he could feel a fluttering sensation in his stomach. He had never felt anything quite like it, at least not as far as he remembered, and if he had, it had passed quickly. _God, let her say yes…Please…_His eyes had locked with hers, and he decided not to blink until she said yes.

"Promise you won't bite?" her lips formed the words but only little sound came out.

"Not 'less you want me to, Kitten" he croaked

"I'll get back to you on that", Rory had suddenly remembered why she had gone to the pub in the first place, and meeting a hot Australian would definitely please her mother. She got up and followed him to his table, smiling inwardly. _This was most likely going to get interesting. _


	2. Two Turtle Doves

**A/N:** Hello readers... (Oh, how I adore you all...) I'm really suprised, and ever so pleased by all your rewievs... It's wonderful that you enjoyed my story so much, and I hope the rest will also live up to your expectations... Since it's really late here (2:15 in the morning) I won't do personal replies, because I'm too tired... I will however tell you all that you rule, and every rewiev I got made me ever so happy... I hope you all had a great Christmas (this will be my little present for all of you)... Oh yeah,I expect the next chapter to be posted the 28th or 29th but I'm not intirely sure, however it won't be later than January 1st...

**Two Turtle Doves**

A sharp ray of light shone through the curtains that weren't completely drawn, she squinted her eyes against it and slowly raised her hand to her forehead. Her head were throbbing terribly, so apparently she succeeded in drinking herself silly last night. She looked at the curtains, but didn't recognize them, and then realized that she didn't recognize anything in the room. She tried to think back to the night before, but she couldn't remember must. She remembered going with Finn over to his table, and then not much after that, at least not until the walk back to Finn's dorm… Finn's Dorm! She was in Finn's dorm. Fast she took in her surroundings, she was lying in a queen-size bed covered with black silk sheets, and she was naked. Then it came back to her, he had been walking her home, and then he had kissed her, she didn't remember how or why. And then…

Something stirred in the bed next to her, and a weight was thrown over her waist. She turned her head and looked right into his face, his eyes were closed, and his mouth was slightly open, he looked like a little child.

"Go back to sleep, Kitten. Far to early to get up yet"

He startled her half to death. He still had his eyes closed as if he was trying to shield then from the light that shone so brightly in hers. He was smiling at her with eyes still closed, and she suddenly realized the logic in what he was saying and closed her eyes. She was still tired as hell, and she was so comfortable there, in his arms.

"Good girl" she heard him mumble and he snuggled further into her.

It didn't take her many minutes to fall asleep again, and as for him, he lay there for a while, looking at her sleeping. And just before he fell asleep, he noticed the scent of vanilla that came from her skin, and the sunlight that flickered over her silky smooth hair. He fell asleep, still smiling, and with a content feeling in his stomach.

* * *

An hour after she had gone back to sleep, he woke up again, and left the bed. At first, he just sat in his recliner and watched her sleep, but after a while, he got the sudden urge to be domestic, and decided to make her breakfast. As he quietly slipped out into the common room, Logan and Colin entered, much less quietly, from outside. As always, they were having one of their, more or less, meaningless fights.

"Morning Finn" Colin muttered through one of Logan's long ramblings.

"Morning Mate" he shuttered as Logan's voice reached an unusual high pitch "Could you keep it down there Huntz, not all of us like to tend to our hangover by making more noise than a pack of elephants on a rampage"

Logan briefly looked apologetic but soon after he shot Finn a dirty look.

"Sooo," his voice sounding suggestively "Where did you and the reporter disappear to last night, and why are you still up? I would have thought that it was way past your bedtime."

Finn scowled at him and went towards the kitchen.

"I just got up" Finn mumbled

"I don't believe it! You? Up before 4 o'clock? Well, colour me amazed!" Logan had followed him into the kitchen.

"Wearing our annoying-cap today are we?" Finn groaned inwardly at the fact that this was the best insult he could come up with.

"Nope, it's the sweater today. Have you gone blind? I'm not wearing a cap"

"Well Logan, I don't make a habit out of looking at you to hard, 'specially not when I'm hung-over. It might make me gag."

Logan made a face at him.

"Now go disturb Colin instead" Finn ushered him out the door.

Signing, he started making pancake dough, but after no more that ten minutes noise erupted from the common room. Cursing his friends under his breath, he stomped back into the common room. Colin was staring at Logan with a tormented look, which was answered by a cheeky one from Logan.

"Right, do tell me, what is it this time" Finn's sigh was more than audible.

"He's driving me fucking insane! He's changing channels faster than he goes through girls," Colin shrieked.

"Would you keep your bloody voice down?" Finn snapped back.

Both Colin and Logan looked at him amazed, Finn usually had a lot more patience with them than that, and was also normally amused by it. Seeing the look on their faces, he sighed and tried to lighten the mood by lifting a hand to his head, as if to blame it on the hangover. Colin leaned in over Logan and tried to snatch the remote out of his hand, Logan seemed to be prepared though, and moved his hand away quickly. Colin then tried to sit back on the couch, but Logan banged him on the head with the remote and sniggered.

"Right, now stop it you two, or… Or I'll confiscate the bloody thing!" his half shouted, half whispered, making the noise that came out a very amusing one.

"Then tell him to settle on one fucking channel", Colin pouted.

"Logan, end the zapping!"

Finn returned to the kitchen, but a sudden silence from the common room was a certain indicator that something was very wrong. Then he heard Logan's voice.

"Sooo, that's why you wanted us to keep quiet"

* * *

Rory woke up again later, the bed next to her empty. She heard voices in the common room, and recognized both Colin and Logan's. They were apparently arguing over the remote, while Finn franticly tried to quite them down. His voice was raised in mock anger that barely concealed the laughter that was threatening to break through.

"Right, now stop it you two, or… Or I'll confiscate the bloody thing!" his half shouted, half whispered, making the noise that came out a very amusing one.

"Then tell him to settle on one fucking channel" Colin pouted.

"Logan, end the zapping!" Finn's voice reminded her of her preschool teacher, she had had the most tormented, and yielding voice, Rory ever heard.

"I'm only surfing because every time I settle on a channel he gives me this look…" apparently Colin choose that exact moment to send him 'the look' "Yup, that look, and asks me if I'm really gonna watch that!"

She could actually visualize Finn making a face at that remark, and giggled a little. _The wonderful life of being a preschool teacher to two twenty-two year olds, shouldn't everyone try it once in a while?_ She slipped out of the bed and pulled the nearest t-shirt over her head. It was far to long, a dark green, with some print on the front, but she didn't really notice what it said, instead she pulled her hair up in a ponytail on the top of her head, and exited the room. As she entered the common room, the two boys in couch went completely quiet, they obviously hadn't known she was there. Both of them stared at her perplexed, and with a look of dawning comprehension Logan turned towards the kitchen.

"Sooo, that's why you wanted us to keep quiet" his voice was dripping with some hidden agenda that Rory pretended not to hear.

"What?"

Finn came out of the kitchen, it was obvious that he knew exactly what Logan was talking about, he was just stalling. For some reason, and an undefined one to her, she got a feeling that she wouldn't want to know the reason that the boys were so surprised with her being there. Finn came over to her and kissed her chastely on the cheek, but his hand (that was skimming over her ass and cupping one cheek) was far from it. She smiled lightly and leaned against his body, it seemed to ooze out warmth and something else. Something that made her feel like her knees were made of putty.

"What are you doing out of bed Kitten? I were just making you breakfast" he lowered his voice and whispered huskily in her ear "and then I was hoping we could continue this nights activities"

His voice hit her just in the pit of her stomach, and chills traveled up and down her spine. And the exhalation from his words on her neck didn't help things either. The short hairs on her arms were raised with the chills, and she couldn't help but smile playfully.

"I was going to ask if I could borrow the bathroom for a quick shower before I left", she held an artistic break, lasting just long enough for her to see a disappointed look on his face. "But if you put it that way, maybe staying has its perks"

He smiled at her, and patted her on the ass as she returned to the bedroom. Behind her, the room was completely quite for a second, and then she heard exited voices filling the common room. She had a feeling that it would take Finn quite a while to get back in there, so she went on a search through his DVD cabinet to find something to watch while she waited.

* * *

When Finn came back in his room Rory was sitting on the bed, still dressed in his t-shirt and a pair of plaid, pyjama pants. She was watching a movie and looked slightly uncomfortable, being alone in his room for half an hour had made her rethink her decision to stay around a thousand times. Finn had entered carrying a tray loaded with blueberry pancakes, fruit, and coffee, and despite the fact that he didn't know her too well he sensed the awkward feeling she had about the whole situation. He sat the tray down in front of her and glanced at the T.V, she was watching 'Girls just want to have fun' and sporting a distressed face.

"Why would you watch that?" he said, trying to lift her mood. "It's terrible!"

She didn't answer him, she just started to prick at the pancakes with her fork. After watching her for a minute or two, he groaned.

"You know, I can actually cook, I'm not trying to kill you or something"

It was her turn to groan.

"I wasn't accusing you" she mumbled, "It's just that I don't…"

Her voice seemed to loose volume as she spoke, leaving so little that her last words were completely inaudible, and she blushed heavily. He smiled at her, with only one thought eminent in his head. _She looks incredibly sweet when she's nervous._

"I'm sorry Kitten, but I didn't quite catch that"

She looked at him with a mixture of annoyance and fright, but then she seemed to pick herself up of the floor and encourage herself.

"I don't normally do this, and I didn't think that you were supposed to bring me breakfast. I thought the whole meaning behind a one night stand was to have sex with a person, who luckily enough left the next morning, so you didn't actually have to go through the agony of trying to make conversation with someone you didn't find remotely interesting?"

He tried to process everything she had just said, but his poor hung-over brain came up short, and the only thing that seeped in was her last words.

"You don't find me interesting?" he muttered. _That was a first._

She groaned again, louder this time, and rolled her eyes at him.

"That's not what I said"

"It wasn't?" he had the feeling that he was starting to tick her off.

"No," she sighed and left the pancakes alone.

_Thank God, _he thought,_ had she picked in them anymore they would have started to cry. And what does one do with crying pancakes?_

"I was saying that I don't get it." She continued, "I didn't think you were required to be nice to one night stands?"

"And who said anything about one night stands?" Finn suddenly understood.

She looked confused.

"Well, we just met and then… and I… and…" her voice disappeared.

"Wouldn't I have gone with you to your dorm if that was what I wanted? Then I wouldn't even have to look at you or say goodbye, I could have just left after you fell asleep. Taking you here would have been stupid, wouldn't it?"

She didn't answer, but after a while, she picked up the plate of pancakes and started eating. He sat down next to her on the bed, and casually laid his arm around her. It made her freeze for a second, but then she snuggled into him. They both returned their attention to the movie, and after five minutes, she went back to looking distressed.

"I know I already asked you this, but I have to know," he said, amused with her absolutely appalled face "why would you watch this? If even possible, it is worse than I remember"

"Why would you own it?" she shot back, pure disgust written on her face.

"I don't think I do?" Finn looked bewildered. He had thought she was watching T.V.

"Well, I found it in your DVD collection" she was now only just able to cover the amusement in her voice.

"COLIN" Finn screamed, forgetting about his, and her, hangover, and they both winced.

"Yes dear" Colin stuck his head in through the door "What can I do you for?"

"Yrk, it's going to take time to get rid of that image" Rory exclaimed making Finn laugh, he had thought exactly the same.

He held up the cover of the DVD, in a threatening sort of way.

"Does this belong to you?" Finn looked at him through squinted eyes.

"Ehm…" Colin had a feeling that 'yes' would be the wrong answer, true as it might be.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, it people like you who ensures that making bad movies is still good business" Finn proclaimed and Rory laughed.

"Sorry, sorry… I should know better," he said half-heartedly.

They were all quite for a second. Then Colin spoke to Rory.

"Logan asked me, to ask you if it's true?"

For a second she was confounded, but he shot a glance at the front of her shirt. She remembered the print and looked down. On the middle of her chest, written in bold, white letters were the words 'I'm willing to try everything once' and accompanied by the letters was two stick figures in a less than prudent pose. Her face suddenly felt like it would match a Santa suit perfectly, and the reaction made Finn curious. He looked down and realized what she was wearing, and immediately turned to the door and threw the offensive DVD cover at a sniggering Colin.

"OUT" he boomed in a voice that made both him and Rory wince yet again, and Colin quickly retracted his head from the room, still sniggering.


	3. Three French Hens

**A/N:** Okay, here goes (if I can wrap my hung-over brain around it, anyway)… Good morning folks (and that's just sad since its 20 to 3 as I'm writing this, but I really just stumbled out of bed)… I've almost finished chapter 4 so here you go, chapter 3 for y'all, consider it my way of saying Happy New Year…

God, how I hate New Year… You jump of stoles to get well into the new year, but how the hell are you supposed to feel you gotten well into it, when you wake up the next morning with a hang-over the size of Jupiter, and a craving for a rare steak the size of Pluto (my hang-overs usually involves eating a hardly cooked, half cow… don't ask)... Anyhow, to all of you who reviewed, you were great! You gave me some of the kindest and most amazing reviews I've ever gotten… Thank you, so much… And to those of you who liked the Colin/Logan part, I promise you more in future chapters…

By the way I seem to have forgotten to put in a **disclaimer**, so here goes (and this covers everything I post under this story title)… **I own nothing, except from the plot in this story… **

**Three French Hens**

Just as she came in the door after having been at the YDN, her phone rang. She looked at the time and almost panicked, it was a quarter to 8, which meant that she only had fifteen minutes until Finn came. Doyle had rear-ended her in the newsroom, trying to make her take over an article the writer had abandoned due to sickness. It had taken all her willpower to fight him of and escape. Again noticing the chiming phone, she didn't bother to check the caller-id, she just picked it up and groaned at the disturbing caller.

"This better be good"

"I'm shocked and appalled! Is that how you greet your mother, whom you by the way haven't spent Christmas with this year!"

"That's not my fault! You were the one who wanted a winter wedding. A winter wedding means a winter honeymoon, I thought you would have figured that out" Rory smiled, she had missed her mom.

"Yeah… but it was a beautiful wedding" Lorelai sighed.

"Yes mom, it was a beautiful wedding" she deadpanned. She had repeated this sentence so many times by now.

"Do I detect sarcasm in your voice kiddo?" Lorelai chirped.

"No, not at all" Rory sighed, her mother had every right to swoon in the memory of her wedding, she wasn't one to wreck it. "So, how's the honeymoon?"

"Exactly as Hugh described it…" her mother grinned "except of course from the fact that Luke has seen my bottom" she faked an English accent for the last part.

"Irk, images I could do without"

Rory made a face and started to rummage through her top drawer trying to find a sweater to wear. She wasn't really paying attention to her mothers chattering in the other end of the phone line, and as a sudden silence erupted in her mothers end Rory realized she had missed a question.

"Sorry?" she said, feeling guilty as sin.

"Are you not listening to me, oh Child of Mine? And be warned, if you say no I won't call you Sweet"

"I'm sorry…" Rory sighed.

"You're not starting out good there!" now her mom sounded more serious. "What's going on?"

"Relax, don't get all creped out… I just have a date, and you disturbed me in the middle of getting ready"

Rory wasn't sure that her mother had heard the last of her remark, because an exited chipper had erupted at the other end of the line. Her mother had engaged in jubilant cheers. It was difficult to ignore her, but Rory tried nonetheless, she grabbed a brush from the top of her dresser and started to brush her hair carefully. After a while, Rory sighed.

"Okay, I get it. I haven't had a date for ages…"

"Years," her mother interrupted "that is, unless you've stopped telling me everything?"

Rory ignored her.

"…not since that terrible disaster grandma lured me into last year…"

"You didn't answer me?"

"…but I haven't really missed it, but anyway today I nevertheless have a date in like 5 minutes"

"Rory, mommy doesn't like it when you don't answer her" Lorelai pouted.

"Well mommy, Rory doesn't like it when you make fun of her" Rory shot back.

"Fair enough" Lorelai sighed, "Maybe the whole celebration feast we are planning down here are a bit to much"

"Maybe!" Rory couldn't help but smile.

In Rory's end, there was a loud noise outside the door. She looked at the clock on her night table it was exactly eight. _Don't people know how to be fashionable late anymore? Is it a lost art? _She groaned internally and mumbled swearword.

"Did you just say what I thought you said?" her mother said in a singsong voice.

"Could you hang on for a minute mom?" Rory went to open the door with the phone squeezed to her ear with her shoulder. Her mother was still talking in the other end, but apparently to Luke. Rory could hear him answering his overly chipper wife in a slightly overbearing voice, and sighed as she opened the door. _Just occasionally, a normal family would've been nice. _She smiled at Finn who was outside the door and stepped aside to let him in.

"So, who is he?" Lorelai said smiling in her end of the phone, she had been worried about Rory lately she didn't get out much.

* * *

Finn smiled at her, she had an apologetic look on her face, and her phone fused to her ear. She looked like she had tried to change her shirt without letting her phone be detached from her ear, and with one hand, she was trying to brush her hair without pulling too many strands out. Last night she had stayed with him, just sleeping! This morning he had walked her home, promising that he would pick her up in the evening so they could go see a movie. Now he was standing in her common room slightly impatient, bobbing up and down, and holding three cups of steaming hot coffee. She was still trying to get through to whomever she was talking to on the phone.

"Hi Kitten" he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled appreciatory.

Then he offered her one of the three cups of coffee he was cramming together in his hands, and she gave him a look of pure gratitude. She drained the cup of half its contents and blinked at him. Then apparently the person she was talking to asked her a question, she looked at him and blushed somewhat. She started pacing.

"Just someone I met…" she answered vaguely, something that didn't seem to satisfy the person she was talking to.

He could hear her, he was now sure it was a woman, even where he was standing about ten feet away from Rory. She piped loudly at Rory's comment in a disapproving voice.

"Okay, okay…" Rory moaned, and looked at Finn again "He's Australian…"

The woman interrupted her again and Rory tilted her head, again looking at him.

"Yes, he has an accent…"

Yet another interruption, this time a loud, cheerful chirper that sounded like_ I loooove accents._

"I know you do. Now can I please go? That is if you're done embarrassing me"

To Finn it sounded like the before very loud voice faded to a whisper. It took a while before Rory answered, but when she did, she was smiling.

"I know, I was thinking exactly the same" she laughed, "Love you too, and I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Rory hung up the phone and blushed ferociously as she looked at him. He smirked at her embarrassment and got terrifyingly close to her. He could sense the intoxicating sent of vanilla and cinnamon from her hair, and breathed in heavily. She shivered faintly and looked at him up through her long, thick lashes. All he wanted at that moment was to jump her and do unspeakable things to her, but they had been almost chaste since that first, intoxicated evening. He wasn't used to girls who acted like this, and for some reason it kept him interested. She didn't seem to remember much from that first night, and untrue to his normal behavior he had no desire to remind her, he was more interested in getting to know her better. Today he had happily blown of one of his parents many Christmas parties to be with her, and he knew that he wouldn't be popular in the family. He reached out and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, the touch seemed to make her quiver again. He bend in and brushed his lips gently over hers.

* * *

After she hung up on her mom she looked at him, and she could feel her cheeks warm up. She cursed internally at who easy it was to get her embarrassed, and when he moved in on her she started to shiver. She remembered the first night, the night they met. She had feeling that he thought she didn't remember their night together, but she did, she more than did. Every time he got near her, she remembered his hands on her body, and the feeling she had in the pit of her stomach when he caressed her on her inner thigh. The memory made her shiver every time she was near him. She looked at him through down turned eyes, and he slowly leaned in and let his lips touch hers. Her heart raced in her chest, and she felt tingles shoot up through her spine. The soft touch lasted for less than ten seconds.

"So, ehh…" she muttered and took a step back. "I guess I'd better get dressed"

He nodded slowly, and then a small smirk formed in the edges of his mouth.

"Or get undressed" he said in a husky voice.

He lifted her up and carried her into her room. Rory was squeezed into his chest, and she could hear his heartbeat, which sounded a little rapid to mach her own. She had no idea how to react to his actions. When they reached her room, he put her down, just in front of her closet. He smiled at her confused look.

"Now get ready Kitten. I'll be waiting with baited breath"

He left her, standing bewildered in her room, and went back to the common room. She fought the feeling of regret that was gathering in the pit of her stomach, and sighed loudly. She wasn't supposed to be like this, she wasn't supposed to want to sleep with some guy she hardly knew, again. After the disaster with Dean, she hadn't even spoken to a guy for months, and she hadn't had either sex or a relationship until now. It was scary that she was suddenly so willing to jump into bed with a stranger, but it was as if he just pushed the right buttons with her. He made her feel relaxed when he joked around, but his mere presence was almost physically painful to her. The chills, the shivering, and the sexual innuendo was exhausting. But still, she kept coming back for more. She sighed again, and started to get dressed.

* * *

He had taken her to an old movie theater where they had a Hitchcock cavalcade. They had seen 'Vertigo' and 'Rear-window' when Finn suggested going out for ice cream, they found a place and sat down after they had ordered. They started to eat their ice cream, but soon Finn's gaze was caught on Rory's mouth instead of his dessert. She turned her spoon over inside her mouth, and licked it clean while she slowly tugged it out between her lips. Just looking at her almost drove him over the edge to insanity, and she was practically redolent of the sexual tension that was hanging thick in the air between them. He was staring at her mouth, and he almost got a hard on just by looking. When she noticed his stare, she shot him a grimy smirk, and raised an eyebrow.

"Like what you see?" she croaked with a suggestive tone in her voice.

He swallowed hard, and got up from his seat. She had finished her ice cream, and his had melted while he was staring at her. Without talking to her, he merely held out his hand for her to take. She glanced at it with a puzzled look, and then let her gaze travel up to his face. After a while, she took his hand without any objections, and they started to walk towards her dorm. On the way there, neither of them said a word, but then when they got there Finn took hold on her shoulders, and spun her around so she was facing him. He looked into her eyes with a distressed look on his face, and then he let an investigating glance run over her face.

"I think we have to stop with the sexual innuendo" he looked very serious.

"What d'you mean?" She was genuinely perplexed, not about the innuendo, but about why he wanted it to stop

"You see," he took a sharp gasp through his teeth before he continued "I like you… a lot. And I want to get to know you, and if we keep this up it will drive me insane! I will jump you, we'll have sex, and I'll most likely loose interest in you because then I wont know any of your interesting little eccentricities and quirks that makes you a wonderful, interesting person"

Finn had just made a ramble any Gilmore Girl would be proud of, but Rory was just truly confused.

"But you already did that!" she said trying to keep a straight face.

"No, I didn't!" Finn's voice was indignant "I'm still interested"

She sighed heavily. He wasn't exactly the easiest person to talk to, your brain had to work at a pretty high speed, and hers didn't seem to do so right now. She tried to wrap her mind around what he had just said, and end the confusion.

"I mean… you already jumped me, and you still seem interested" she hoped he understood this time.

Now it was his turn to look perplexed.

"I thought you didn't remember?" he said in a faint voice. She smiled widely.

"I know I was drunk, but I wasn't that drunk" her smile was accompanied with a blush as her next words exited her mouth "And even if I had been that drunk, I'm pretty sure I still would've remembered. You don't forget something as mind-blowing as that"

As her last word was said, her gaze landed on the ground before her, and she didn't see Finn's facial expression change. During a few seconds, it went from perplexed, over dawning realization, to sheer bliss. He looked at the girl in front of him, and a feeling he had never known before spread itself in his stomach. He was happy, for the first time ever he was truly, honestly, sincerely mind-bogglingly happy. And as his fingers lifted her chin and his mouth descended on hers, the feeling grew. It kept growing as she opened her mouth to let his trying tongue in, until it exploded in all the colors of the rainbow as he pinned her up against the wall of her dorm building, and she, with a voice that seemed thick with lust, moaned his name over and over again.


	4. Four Calling Birds

**A/N: **Okay, so this is baaad… Right now, I should be writing a history paper, but I have no clue where to start… Instead I seem to be inspired as hell for writing this story… Like I said not good… Well, not good for me anyway…

And for the rewievers:

**Evelyn:** My first threat, I'm so proud… I think… I guess you will like the fact that I'm unable to write my paper… You devil-woman ;-)

**Wickedshizit: **Thank you, and believe me I had fun… A party in my brother's dorm is always fun… As for Guns N' Roses there was no leaving them out, my boyfriend was listening to them as I wrote the chapter, it forced itself in there… And it seemed like Lorelai…

**Bethany Inc:** NO MEAT! I could never live without meat… I mean of course I feel bad for the little bunny-rabbit, but when it gets near me, it's already dead… And then, I would have to live with my hangovers… Bad, bad hangovers… Then again, maybe I won't eat bunny-rabbits… only cow!

**just hidden: **I'm not certain that Lorelai is going to get completely filled in, I sort of take bits and pieces from every day. But I won't tell you every little detail, because then I'd never finish… So Rory has probably already told her everything by now…

**For citygrl, frackandbonechick, bonny, cheri, gottalovethegilmores, Irish-Chick13, roxygrl694, spinaround, rockrose, finnlover, **and** Toniboo: **Thank you, you rule…!

**Four Calling Birds**

It had been hard for her to convince Finn to let her go last night, but Rory made him. She had to go to her grandparents Christmas shindig, and since her mom wasn't home that was a tradition she couldn't be convinced to blow of. And anyway, her grandparents weren't the kind of people who let anybody blow them of. That had made him scowl, and he had told her that he was also invited, but had intended not to come. She had laughed, and of cause, they had made plans to go together. Currently she was getting ready, while thinking back to the night before with a smile. She was standing in front of her mirror wearing nothing but her underwear, applying her eyeliner, when someone knocked on her door. Annoyed at the interruption she threw on her flannel pajamas shirt, and stomped out to open the door.

"Hi Rory"

Just the sound of his voice threw her of completely, she hadn't heard it in years, and hasn't expected to hear it again anytime soon. Forgetting about her state of undress, she opened the door completely, and just starred at him. He seemed taller than the last time she saw him, but she decided that it was just because he held his head higher, and because he looked more grown up. Apparently standing at the end of her stare wasn't the most comfortable thing on earth, and looking more and more uneasy, he started to shuffle his feet. She tried to figure out what to say, but nothing came to mind, so she just kept staring.

"Rory, would you please say something?" he begged her.

She wasn't about to have one of those conversations, one of those you have with people you never really knew, when you meet them years later. The _Hi…, how are you? I'm fine, how about you? _conversations. She despised those with a fiery passion. Yet as she opened her mouth, she knew which words were on their way out.

"Hi Jess, how are you?" she made a mental note to banish those words from her internal dictionary.

He frowned, he knew her well enough to know that those words were not the start of what she would consider a pleasant conversation.

"So, this was not exactly how I wanted this to go" he ran his hand through his already messy hair.

"Maybe you shouldn't have shown up Holden," she said in an exhausted voice.

"As in Caulfield?" he asked, and she nodded. "Why?"

"You always were to smart for your own good"

She sighed, and stepped aside so he could enter her room. After closing the door behind him, she walked back to the mirror, and left him standing ill at ease in the middle of the common room. Continuing to apply her makeup proved to be a difficult task, with her suddenly very shaky hands.

"So, what did come here for?" she half-shouted.

"You've certainly learned not to sugarcoat things anymore huh?"

She was surprised to hear his voice coming from the door to the toilet where she was standing. She looked over and saw him leaning on the frame of the door, with his well-known smirk back in place. As his eyes ran over her, she remembered that she wasn't dressed, and she frowned. She walked past him to her bed where her dress laid waiting for her, and quickly shrugged of the pajamas shirt, and allowed the smooth, layered chiffon to glide down over her body. When she turned back to him, she noticed the short glimmer of an appraising look that he was trying to hide. She was weirdly annoyed by this, and started to wish that she hadn't invited him in.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Christmas party at my grandparents house" she didn't know why she told him, and when she saw his frown she wished she hadn't.

"You've certainly changed!" he didn't sound approving.

"So have you…" she shot back "You were always self-centered, but not showing up to your uncles wedding? That's just low"

He held his hands up in a surrendering gesture, and the air that had left her aggravated before, seemed to just puff out of her and leave her only slightly annoyed.

"Since you didn't seem to hear me before…," she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice "what did you come here for?"

"I just wanted to give you this" he handed her a small package.

She took it, and under the paper, she felt the hard corners of a small book. With a minutes hesitation she put the book down on her bed.

"What's that for?" she glanced at him with a confused look.

He smiled.

"Let's call it a Christmas present" he looked at the book "Aren't you gonna open it?"

Another knock on the door saved her from answering, and she looked at Jess with a glance down at her still unzipped dress.

"Would you get that please?"

She had forgotten about her date with Finn, when she saw Jess outside her door, and didn't even think that it might be him. She just continued getting dressed, when Jess left the room. She didn't remember until she heard a surprised noise from the common room. She saw her own surprised look in the mirror, and cursed internally at her stupidity. _But what could he expect? He'd been gone for years. _She snarled at her own face in the mirror, and went out into the common room. Finn was still standing outside the door, and he was wearing as annoyed look. As soon as he saw her, he turned his full attention to her.

"Hi Kitten, could you tell your guard dog here that you really know me? He won't let me in"

Sending her an astonished look, Jess opened the door enough for Finn to enter the room. Finn walked over to her while he gave her a good, hard look. When he reached her, he gave her a kiss on her temple, and snaked an arm around her waist. He leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Damn Kitten, you look bloody amazing."

* * *

He looked her over again with an intense expression on his face, and rubbed the tip of his nose against her neck where he could smell her. The sent of vanilla and coffee that always covered her skin was as a strong aphrodisiac to him. It made his whole body tremble, and he tried hard not to let the strange guy who opened her door see it. She did look gorgeous. She was wearing a beautiful dress, made of several layers of chiffon that just reached her knees. It was dark brown, and had satin along the top edges, and satin straps. It was in 20'ties style with a satin belt over the hips. Tearing his attention away from her attractive figure, he shot a glance over at the guy who was still standing at the door. He looked at her again with a questioning expression.

"So, who is the Rottweiler at the door? I'm pretty sure I haven't seen him before"

Rory fought to hold back a smile at the comment.

"Finn, this is my old boyfriend Jess. Jess this is Finn"

Finn looked at her a bit surprised, _Why is her ex-boyfriend here?_ He suddenly grew a strong sense of dislike towards the guy who was standing at the door with a resentful face, staring at Finn. He didn't like the guy, he didn't like the look of 'bad boy' that hung around him. _Girls go for that type, don't they?_ He tightened his grip around her slightly, but not enough to make the stranger notice. The Jess-guy shot them an openly disapproving look, and in Finns opinion quite rude, and addressed Rory.

"I never expected you to change into some high society snob, I must say I'm disappointed, but I guess Ivy League colleges can do that to you"

He turned to leave the room, but then turned back to the couple standing behind him.

"Remember the book"

Rory looked at the door for a while after Jess had closed it. Finn searched her face for some sign of emotion, but came up short. He cursed at himself for deciding not to get pissed before coming here, an ex-boyfriend with unresolved issues was more than he could handle whilst sober. The attractive girl next to him let out a long sigh, and he noticed relief on her face. He wanted to ask what was going on, but something in her face and posture told him that this wasn't the right time. She made a determined face, and turned to him.

"So are we leaving or what?"

He went over to open the door and bowed gallantly as she walked out, he walked after her with something brewing in his stomach. A concerned feeling that something was going on, and that he wasn't able to do anything about it if it wasn't good. And having that feeling, had never yet proved a good thing to Finn.

* * *

They had a great night. Finn and his friends, the ones that had been ordered to attend the Gilmore annual Christmas party by their parents, were experts at forming sub-parties. Before Rory knew it the attic was full of young people and booze, and she was having the time of her life. As she looked out over the attic, she wondered how her mother could have disliked this life. There were people everywhere, and the old discarded furniture in the attic seemed to be rejoicing at the scene. There was a couple lying in an old bed drinking champagne and making out. There were two blonde boys, who looked like brothers, sprawled out on an old couch and engulfed in a discussion. There was Colin and Logan standing by a cupboard arguing as usual. And there was Finn, and he was everywhere she needed him to be, playing host to perfection. He was constantly aware of her needs, and as she was standing there, looking out over the sub-party, he came up behind her, and put his arm around her waist.

"You having fun?"

She nodded.

"If you wanna go home, just say the word"

She nodded again. He was desperate to get another reaction from her, so he turned to face her.

"That guy… Your ex… He wasn't exactly polite to you, what was that about?"

She seemed more surprised at his words than he had expected, she looked into his eyes for a while and then she looked down, but before she looked away, he saw the sadness in her eyes. He tugged her closer, and stroked his hand slowly up and down her back.

"We split in a bad way…" she sighed "and sometimes we get along, sometimes we don't"

"But that's not all, is it?" he sounded disbelieving.

She fiddled with a strand of her hair and twisted it around her fingers, without answering him. She was silent for a long time, and the only part of her body that moved was her eyes that were watching the people in the room. After a while, she smiled at him.

"Can we go home now?"

He gave her his biggest smile, and started to lead her through the room. His big hand on the small of her back was soothing, it was as if it shot out rays of heat that both relaxed and rejuvenated her whole body. She smiled, nothing bad could happen as long as his hand was resting right there, she was safe. She watched his other hand was he shook her grandfather's hand, and enjoyed the sight of his long, wide, and strong fingers. His hand was shortly detached from her as her grandfather gave him a hug, he silently whispered in her ear.

"I like him, he's a good kid," Rory smiled "And don't worry, I'll make sure the maid cleans up upstairs without your grandmother finding out"

He winked at her and she giggled, and gave him another hug. Finn's hand found its way back to her back, where it stayed till she sat in the limo they had arrived in. When he slid in to the seat next to her, he leaned in and told the driver where to go, and then closed the privacy window. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, but then she sank into his body, and leaned her head on his shoulder. He lifted it and laid it around her shoulders, and stroked some hair out of her eyes. She looked up at him through those long, thick eyelashes, and the sight of those eyes almost drove him crazy. She stretched up and kissed his jaw line, and he lifted her up so she was sitting on his lap. She stroked her index finger over his stubbed cheek, and he repeated her action to perfection. He reached out for her and dragged her close enough so he could reach her lips, and then he kissed her with an intensity neither of them had ever experienced. He let his hands run over her body and they both moaned, as one of his hands traveled up under her dress. Far too soon, the limo stopped, and they broke apart. Rory desperately tried to straighten out her hair and dress, before the chauffeur came to open the door. He let them out, and opened the door to her dorm building.

"Goodnight Miss"

Rory glanced at Finn with a questioning look, and he smiled. He turned to the driver.

"Thank you David, but I won't need you anymore tonight"

He took her hand and followed her to her room. As soon as the key was turned in the lock, they continued what they had started in the limo. They stumbled through the room, lips fused together, staggering, and tumbling in the dark. They finally reached her room and she let herself fall backwards onto the bed, taking him with her. Something hard fall to the floor, but neither Rory nor Finn noticed it. They were wrapped up, completely consumed in each other, and before either of them knew it, they reached the top. Like a wave it carried them, held them up there, and then after a while it disposed of them, and they landed like shipwrecked tangled up in her sheets, washed up in her bed as if it was a far away shore.


	5. Five Gold Rings

**A/N: **I know, mean evil non-updating me… There is a good excuse though. A couple of days ago I had one of my, more than normally, clumsy days, and decided that it would be a really good idea to pour the cup of coffee I had in my hand into my lab-top… Oh, and I drink coffee from pint-sized cups… My computer has been drying out the last couple of day, and now I hope its okay, otherwise I hope it stays functional at least till I've updated…

And now for the thank you's…

**Bethany Inc: **After your little story, I feel like I have to come clean… Once my mother and brother lured me into eating a rabbit (They told me it was chicken… I know, I was easy…) and afterwards when they told me, I cried for hours… I was 12… God, that's embarrassing… In my defense, I had a rabbit myself, and kept picturing that they had slaughtered and eaten it…

**Evelyn:** You've had me looking over my shoulder the last couple of days… I've been scared that suddenly you and some lynching crowd would turn up to hunt me down with your pit forks and hang me for being a bad updater, Thank you for not doing that… And thank you for your Great, very sweet review of 'The Transatlantic'…

**Irish-Chick13:** There will not exactly be a fight, but…. I'm sorry, but I can't make it all sweet and dramatic….

**Gilmoregirl7878**Yes, the book fell… but it will not be forgotten, the devilish thing… Computer screen too bright, lol… You must have been going at it even worse than me…

**Citygrl: **You worry too much… I don't think Jess deserves to drive a wedge between them either, hell I didn't even really like him when he was in the show for real… But I have to make a little drama, right?

**Wickedshizit: **He, he… I have a really good friend who claims I remind him of Lorelai, mainly because of the insane ramblings, the fact that I can eat a whole cow and still ask for dessert, and the major coffee addiction… And remember Richard was a young socialite once too and he hasn't forgotten what it was like as Emily has, he's had his fair amount of sub-parties, so of cause he'd know…

And to **princetongirl**, **just hidden**, **spinaround**, **roxygrl694**, **finnlover**, **Nemi Jade**, **ReeseAnn**, **zetaphi7**, **rockrose**, **rose217**, and **Toniboo** thanks for reviews, you're great…!

**Five Gold Rings**

The curtains weren't drawn, but it didn't matter. She was too tired, and too much in need of coffee, to care if anyone saw her in her naked state. She gently moved Finns arm that was protectively lying over her body. He mumbled something in his sleep, and reached out and hugged her pillow instead of her warm body that she had moved out of the bed. She sniggered and made a mental note to tease him about it when he woke up. She got dressed and left the room. She found her favorite coffee stand and bought a couple of big coffees. Walking back to her room she swallowed one of them happily, and joyfully started the second. When she came back into her dorm, she kicked of her shoes, and went back into the bedroom. As she went over to the bed, she stumped her little toe on something that where lying on the floor. She bend down and picked the perpetrating object up from the floor, and saw the book that Jess gave her yesterday, still gift wrapped. Instead of going back to bed, she sat down in her favorite chair by the window, she put her coffee down in the windowsill, and unwrapped the book. As she had guessed, it was a book, a little thin book, but not just any book. It had his name on it. 'Allegory' it was called, and then underneath, in gold letters was the name Jess Mariano. She snapped for breath and opened it, she had no idea what she was looking for, but she knew there was a message in there for her. He hadn't written anything in there himself, but the dedication…

"For the girl I loved and hurt the most,

and yet she never lost faith in me"

_Could that be anyone else than her? Shane? Hardly, but maybe there was someone after me? _She thought hard about it, but ended with a no. Yet she was not quite sure, so she turned a page and began to read. She read, while her coffee got cold, and snow started to fall outside the window, but she didn't notice.

After two hours, Finn began to stir. When he opened his eyes, he saw the girl he had secretly started to call his girlfriend sitting motionless in the chair by the window. She was staring straight into nothingness with an empty expression on her face, and he got a little worried. _Have I done something? Or is it something I haven't done? What the bloody hell is wrong with her?_ He rolled over and sat up, and walked slowly over to her. She was holding a closed book, and on a sudden impulse, he glanced down at the cover. _Jess… Jess… The guy from last night was called Jess, wasn't he?_ He looked at her, and saw that she was looking back at him with a weird look on her face, that he was unable to read.

"I think you'd better go"

Her voice didn't sound like the voice he was used to hear, and she wouldn't look into his eyes. He kneeled down next to her, and covered her hands with his own. A feeling of fear spread throughout him, he felt cold to the core.

"Rory… Did I do anything wrong?" the fear was audible in his voice.

She looked at him, but avoided his eyes.

"I just… I'm a bit messed up right now" she looked down at her hands and withdrew them from his grip "I need to think"

He looked at his hands that were lying limply in her lap. And for the first time in ten years, he felt like crying, he hated that guy, and he hated that he had gotten so attached to the girl. She had never promised him anything, and yet he had fallen with a bang. He slowly got up from his position on the floor and started to get dressed, still none of them said a word. As he walked towards the door, he still expected her to call him back, but not a sound was uttered from her end of the room. When he reached the door, he cleared his throat.

"Can I…" he didn't know what to say.

She didn't answer, and he shook his head. He closed the door behind him, and got a terrible feeling that he had done something really stupid. He leaned his head against the wall next to her door and closed his eyes. _Bloody, fucking idiot… _He didn't even know if he was telling himself or the Jess-guy off. _Bloody, fucking motherfucker… Who the hell does he think he is to come into her life and play all high and mighty…? As if, he had any reason…_ Finn realized that he had no idea if Jess had a reason or not, but he still blamed the guy. He knocked his head against the hard, cold rock, and then he left. The only thing he needed right now was a drink, or ten thousand of them.

* * *

Rory was numb, she was confused beyond all belief. And the only thing she was fairly sure of was that it was not a good idea having Finn lying in her bed while she tried to figure everything out. To take it all from the beginning, something she had wished for in a long time had happened. Jess had come back, hell, he had even written a book about her. In the book that was lying in her lap, she was the Celestial City to his Christian, she was the thing he longed and craved for. Only now, she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted anymore. She moaned loudly and caught her head in her hands. _Why couldn't life be easy for a change? Now wouldn't that be nice?_ Right then she heard a scramble at the door, she had forgotten about Paris coming home today and cursed loudly. Paris of cause chose that exact moment to walk in the door. She frowned.

"I can hear that spending Christmas without your mother hasn't improved your manners, not that I should have expected it too"

Rory didn't answer, she didn't know if she wanted to share with Paris, but she needed to talk to someone. She got up from the chair and went over to Paris, she took one of her bags, and instead held out the book. Paris gave her a puzzled look and took it. She glanced down at it, and then back to Rory.

"Your Jess?" Rory nodded "You're kidding, right?" She shook her head.

Both girls dropped the bag they were holding and dropped themselves on the couch. Paris turned to the first side and read the inscription.

"Wow" Rory nodded.

"So, was he here?" Rory nodded again "Are you going to actually speak anytime soon?"

"Sorry," Rory sighed, "I'm just lost"

"Isn't this what you wanted?"

Paris looked at her confused, and then she noticed the knocked over lamp in the common room, and the mess in Rory's bed as she looked through the open door. Her eyes grew wide, and her jaw dropped a little, she looked back at Rory with interest.

"You had a boy in your room" her voice was teasing.

And she knew she had hit the jackpot when Rory blushed all over. Rory jumped to her feet and started pacing, and Paris sat back and honestly enjoyed it a little. _Rory was rarely this much besides herself, it was normally herself that was putting on a spectacle…_ Rory stopped pacing for a while, and looked at Paris.

"Finn… I met him a couple of days ago…" she started mowing again "Jess dropped the book of and I didn't open it, Finn came, Jess left and we went to the party, and then he came back here, and this morning when I woke up I opened it… and then I told him to leave…"

Paris was completely puzzled, she got up from the couch and stopped Rory by grabbing her firmly by the shoulders.

"Okay," she gave Rory a quick hug "slow down and tell me what happened, and with a little more adjectives this time please"

They both sat down, and slowly Paris managed to yank the whole story out of Rory. She got more and more surprised at her friend, as the story moved along. When Rory finished she was astonished. _Rory sleeping with some guy she hardly knew. The next thing will be purple snow…_Rory smiled tiredly and looked at Paris.

"Any ideas?" there was a silent prayer in her eyes.

"Only one," she grinned "Coffee!"

Rory smiled, but something in her attitude told Paris that even coffee wouldn't be enough this time. They found their way to the coffee stand, and got as much coffee as they could carry. Then they searched for a place they could sit down, it was still snowing, and there weren't many options, but they found a bench under a pent roof where they sat down. After having sat in silence for a while, Paris grumbled.

"Well, at least the snow's not purple"

Rory just gave her one of those looks she had reserved just for Paris, the 'I-know-you're-crazy-so-I'm-not-gonna-ask' look. She looked down on the ground, where the snow was starting to settle and color the ground white. Paris realized that she was thinking about the Finn-Jess situation, and nudged her shoulder gently.

"You'll figure it out, just stop thinking about it so much. Suddenly you'll just know"

Rory smiled and nudged her back, sometimes Paris was a really good friend, and those sometimes completely made up for all the other times. She swallowed the rest of her coffee, and started on the next cup. Rory remembered where she had been over Christmas, and suddenly Jess was buried in her mind, instead she turned to Paris and looked exited.

"So, tell me. How was Christmas with Doyle's parents?"

Paris smiled, and then tried to hide it behind her enormous mittens.

"Very red, green, and Christmassy" she sniggered.

* * *

In Finn's dorm room things was a lot less high-spirited. After Finns less than joyful greeting, and his quick retreat to his own room, both Colin and Logan had guessed that something was wrong. Even if their brains were still intoxicated beyond belief. They looked at each other as Finn's door slammed behind him.

"Trouble in paradise?" Colin muttered.

Logan looked at the door with surprise. He nodded.

"Must be" he frowned "though I didn't expect it with the reporter, she seemed interested"

"As did he" Colin mentioned.

They looked at each other, and moaned as if on cue. They had been there the only other time Finn had any feelings for a girl, and it hadn't been pretty. And the biggest trouble was that, this time they both had a feeling it was gonna be worse. Finn had been oblivious to other girls ever since he saw Rory, and they had noticed of cause, how could they not? He was normally the one storming around after anything with a pulse.

"So, what do we do about it?"

Colin sighed, he wasn't really up for playing David Hasselhof, but his friend needed to be saved, and he wasn't one for letting people drown. But Logan shook his head, this wasn't something he wanted to get caught up in.

"Nothing yet, maybe they'll fix it on their own. Let's hope they do. All we can do right now is be here if he wants to talk"

Colin nodded reluctantly. He hated to see Finn all messed up, but he knew Logan was right. If they interfered, there was a chance that they'd just mess things up worse. He sighed again and returned hi attention to the T.V, there was a documentary on about Britney Spears, and Finn rarely allowed them to watch stuff like that. It seemed that he had an idea that Britney was bad music, something that neither Colin nor Logan shared with him. Right now, he was just enjoying Britney's boobs in a far too tight tube top. Logan nudged him in the side with an elbow.

"Wanna bet that is they pop out?" he sent the T.V a dirty look.

"You idiot, do you really think that they'd be showing that in a documentary" Colin nudged him back.

"Hey, don't call me an idiot"

"Well, you are an idiot"


	6. Six Geese Alaying

**A/N: **I'm sorry; I have only a really terrible excuse… The ending is bad really, really bad… I am tipsy/drunk as I'm writing this, that's my excuse, sorry about that…

By the way, I just LOVE winter… In my drunken state, I convinced my boyfriend to go for a walk with me a couple of hours ago, at 11 in the evening… And it was snowing! Everything was covered in snow, and ice and it was just soooo pretty… And my boyfriend allowed my meaningless babble, so it was all perfect…

Anyway, I'm on my way to bed, so there will be no personal thank you's this time, so a collective thank you to all my reviewers, you rule…

Just one thing:

**Yukata Mizu Yosei: **Of cause, it was supposed to be undramatical… indramatical… I couldn't figure out witch one so I accidently changed it and forgot to change it back, sorry for the confusion…

**Six Geese A-laying**

She woke up the next morning with a tight knob in her stomach. There was something missing, and she had a horrible feeling that she knew what it was. She reached out to the other side of the bed, but of cause, it was empty, as she knew it would be. She remembered how she had turned Finn away the morning before, and she felt sick, really sick. She fell over onto her back, and swallowed hard. And then she made a decision, she wasn't going to cry, she was going to do something about it. She jumped out of the bed, and started going through her dresser. She cursed loudly when she didn't find anything to wear, and started going through it again still muttering frantic curses to herself. By the time she was done, Paris was standing grumbling in her door, wearing a pink, care-bear pajamas.

"What are you doing Gilmore? It's only eight, where can you possibly be going, AT eight! Wait a minute, what are you doing up AT 8? You're never up this early, never. What's going on?" she said in a shrieky, and less than woken voice.

Rory had started on her closet now, and had left the contents of her dresser in a royal mess. She became more and more annoyed and finally just tore out a dress and pulled it over her head. She turned to Paris, and as she saw her outfit, she struggled to keep in a laugh. She failed to and tried to muffle it with a cough instead, but of cause Paris noticed and it didn't exactly help with her bad mood. She sent Rory a look that made her squirm.

"So…" her voice was impatient "where are you going?"

Rory blushed, and that was answer enough for Paris. She rolled her eyes.

"Today on 'The many love-affairs of Rory Gilmore' who will it be? The handsome Aussie? Or the feisty Italian? Which one of them will run of with our heroine's heart?" she said in a voice that any pronouncer of cheesy soap operas would have envied.

Rory smiled; sometimes it was choking how well Paris really knew her. Every now and again, it shone through that she actually cared, and every time it surprised Rory. She walked over to the door and gave Paris a quick hug.

"I'll let you know when I get back"

She walked to the door, but Paris' voice stopped her just before she could leave.

"You seem to be under the impression that I give a damn…" she sounded frantic "You know you're wrong, right? Because I don't"

Rory just smiled, still with her back turned.

"See, you later"

She walked out the door, and heard Paris' bare feet smack against the floor. She shot a quick glance over her shoulder and saw Paris' head looking after her.

"I don't, Gilmore, remember that"

Rory sniggered, as she heard Paris snarl at an innocent bystander.

"What the hell are you looking at? You never saw a girl in pajamas before? Because that's just sad"

She slammed the door hard, and Rory left the building, still sniggering.

* * *

Paris' little outburst had made laugh, but when she reached the coffee cart however, her mood was back to being determined. She needed to talk to Finn and the sooner the better. She felt awful, and she missed him. She had no idea when, or how she had suddenly grown so attached to this guy, that she barely knew. Absent-minded she made her order, and started to go through her purse for some money. Just when she was about to freak, out because she couldn't find any, a guy came up behind her and addressed the coffee-vendor.

"Make that another large, black coffee on me"

Rory turned and saw Finn's blonde friend, for a second or two she struggled to remember his name, and then she smirked.

"Logan thanks! You have no idea how happy I am to see you"

"Do tell, Ace" he smirked widely.

Her face turned from freaked out to amused, and then she started laughing. He looked slightly surprised for a second, and then he smiled. She just kept on laughing, till she was flushed, teary-eyed, and had trouble breathing. Logan was now no longer smiling; instead, he looked a little annoyed. Rory sighed, and dropped herself on the nearest bench. She looked at him, still with laughter tears in her eyes.

"Does that ever work?" she made a weak gesture towards his face.

"Every time"

He smiled at her genuinely this time, he knew he had been caught trying to flirt with her, and he could swallow his pride at her amusement, after all, she was Finn's girlfriend… sort of. She smiled at him, and he definitely understood what Finn saw in her. She looked up at him through her thick lashes, and for a second he had to remind himself that she was already spoken for.

"So," he sat down next to her "are you gonna tell me why Finn was in the same mood as a hungry tiger when he came home yesterday?"

She sent him a surprised glance, and took a long sip of her coffee to gain time. When he shot her a slightly impatient look, she sighed and lowered her cup.

"You certainly don't waste any time getting to the point, huh" she grumbled and he smiled.

"Nope"

She sighed, drained her coffee cup, and got up from the bench to throw it in the trash. Logan followed her, and as if they had planned it, they started walking towards Finn and Logan's dorm. Neither of them said anything for a while, then Rory spoke.

"I got cold feet, I guess"

Logan was surprised at this answer, and had the feeling that she wasn't telling him what really mattered. He didn't say anything though, he had a feeling she would cave in and tell him if he didn't.

"That night my grandparents had the party, my ex-boyfriend showed up" Logan looked at her.

"So…?" he said in an obviously questioning voice.

"He's written a book," she sighed, having the feeling that he wouldn't let her of that easy "a partially autobiographical novel, and it's about me"

Logan felt his eyes widen a little. He wasn't the least bit surprised that she had a guy like that in her past, someone who clung to the memory of her, but he was sorry for Finn. He loved Finn, he was his best friend, and he hated the creeping feeling that Finn would get hurt this time. Finn was great, and Logan had seen him charm his way into the heart of many girls, but never with this much competition. And an author ex-boyfriend with enough inspiration to write a novel about her, that was a whole lot of competition. Rory sighed and continued, now that she had started sharing, it seemed much easier just to continue.

"It's about this young guy who leaves his high school sweetheart because he feels that she's too good him. He goes to New York to accomplish something, anything, so that she can be proud of him, and he can feel worthy of her"

"So," Logan was even more curious now "how does it end?"

"It doesn't really" she saw Logan's confused look and tried to explain, "It has an open ending… As if he wanted me to end it myself"

"How is it gonna end then?" Logan asked, he was looking at the ground as they walked.

"Well, I'm here with you aren't I?" she said.

Logan looked at her and smirked widely again.

"As much as I would love to shag up with you Ace, I don't think I would want to handle Finn's reaction"

She first looked surprised, and then she slapped him on the shoulder.

"Idiot!" she smiled.

He rubbed his shoulder, and did his best to look like she had actually hurt him, but all his efforts earned him was a sarcastic glance. He sighed and gave up, internally cursing his lack of acting skills. They had reached the door to the boy's dorm, and gentleman as he, well tried to be, he held the door open for her. She smiled at him again, and the realization that he knew what Finn saw in her hit him again. She was really beautiful, not in the made up, fake way that most of the girls that hang around them normally was, but in a more profound, real way. And she was smart, funny, and could shot back on one-liners like no other girl he had ever met.

"Do you think he'll forgive me?" she said to him, tearing him from his thoughts.

"I think he's just waiting for you to come"

He sent her an encouraging smile and opened the door to their dorm. Colin was sitting in the couch reading the paper, and Finn was clattering around in the kitchenette. Logan caught Colin's attention and nodded towards Rory, Colin looked surprised and then looked towards the kitchenette. Logan gave Rory a push towards the kitchen, and then he gestured at Colin to come with him. When Colin got up and walked to the door, Logan shouted towards the kitchen.

"I'm gonna take Colin for a walk, we can't have him doing his business all over the floor"

Colin gave him an angry look, and slapped him hard on the shoulder. When the door closed behind them, Rory could hear his voice in a furious high pitch.

"What the hell was that?"

Logan mumbled something in return, and then Colin went completely crazy. Rory could hear him angrily shouting at Logan all the way down the hall. Finn scrambled in the kitchen, and then he called out Logan and Colin's names. When there was no answer, Rory could hear him walk towards her. He walked past the wall that had hidden her from his view, and then they were facing each other.

* * *

Finn was angry, and he needed an outlet. The pots and pans that made up the dirty dishes wasn't enough anymore, and when he heard Logan shouting, he saw it as an excuse for starting an argument. He called out their names, and when they didn't answer, he walked out into the common room. When he looked towards the door, there she was. The sight of her made his heart jump to his throat. Rory was pale, but had a determined look on her face that made the knot in Finn's stomach grow even tighter than it had become when he had left her dorm yesterday. _She's here to tell me that she can't see me anymore, I just know it… She's back together with that Jess-guy, that's why she threw me out yesterday, to call him… _His thoughts were racing through his brain till he almost became sick, are maybe it was the thought of not seeing her again, or seeing her with someone else that was making him sick. She gave him a weak smile, which he struggled to return, but all he could produce, was a sad frown. Rory half ran the five steps that separated them, and threw her arms around his neck. Finn caught her as she landed in his arms, and his surprise was enormous. He had expected many things, crying, forced happiness even the odd screaming match, but her flinging herself in his arms that was unexpected. After just having stood there for a while, arms around each other, she looked up at him with a more relaxed expression.

"I'm glad you didn't push me away" she smiled at him.

"Why would I?" he had to force the words out through his throat, his voice sounded thick.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did. It really wasn't fair of me to kick you out like that"

"Then why did you?" the whole experience was so obscure to him that he didn't know what else to say.

"I got all confused, I couldn't think with you there"

"And now?" his voice almost failed him.

"I'm not confused anymore. I woke up this morning, and when you weren't there everything felt all wrong. And Paris told me this whole 'suddenly you'll just know'-thing yesterday, and when I woke up I figured that that was it, I had figured it out. I thought about you. I missed you. I didn't even think about Jess until I ran into Logan at the coffee-cart on my way here. It was all me worrying about you."

She lifted herself onto her toes and kissed him gently on his lips. It took him about five seconds to react, but when he did, it was positive. He drew her in closer, and parted her lips with his tongue. The kiss grew in passion, and after a couple of minutes, he lifted her up and carried her to his room.

After a couple of hours Rory woke up lying safe in Finn's arms, in Finn's bed, with Finn's sleeping face nuzzled into her hair by her neck. And it felt right. She decided right then and there to erase the last 24 hours from her memory completely, they had been a necessary evil, but now when she had realized that she wanted to… maybe not be with Finn for the rest of her life, but at least get to know him better, the weren't necessary anymore. She smiled and started to tickle Finn gently in the corner of his mouth, he made a couple of faces, and then he woke up. As soon as he realized that she had awoken him, he returned the tickling favor. He continued until she cried out in surrender, and soon the tickling evolved into something completely different.

* * *

Logan and Colin came back to the dorm after a couple of hours, just in time to listen in on round number two. They had fallen over in the couch just before the screaming started, and half an hour later, they still hadn't uttered a word. They had heard Finn have sex before, living with him you couldn't avoid it, but they had never heard anything like that before. Both of them had a feeling that they had walked in on something very private, something that they had no right to overhear. As Colin got up to leave the dorm and go home, neither of them spoke. They didn't want to let the lovers in the adjoining room know that they were there.


	7. Seven Swans Aswimming

**A/N:** It took a little longer than expected, but here you go. Thank you for the reviews, as always they were great… I'm to tired to write thank you's, so I won't…

I want to dedicate this to Evelyn, my most faithful reviewer, who just wrote me my longest one ever.

Thank you for keeping me at it…

**Seven Swans A-swimming**

When she woke up that morning, back in his arms, everything felt right. Her back was against his stomach, their legs were intertwined, and both his arms were around her body. She loved the feeling of him, the soft skin in contrast with the strong, flexible muscles. She rolled over in his arms, and faced him. His eyes were still closed and his breathing was regular and relaxed. She caressed his cheek, and felt the rough stubble against her fingers. She drew her fingers further down, over the jaw and onto the smooth skin on his neck. Her eyes had followed her fingers, and when she looked up again, Finn was looking at her intensely. He smiled.

"G'morning there Kitten, slept well?" he mumbled and tightened his grip around her slightly.

She pretended to think about it, and managed to keep her face looking thoughtful for a full minute before Finn lost patience.

"You little Devil" Finn mumbled and tugged her even closer, just when she thought that he was going to kiss her, he blew a raspberry at her instead.

"Mean!" she said and gave her best pout.

Finn laughed. He tried to stand his ground, but the pout made it impossible for him to resist her, and very soon, he was nibbling on her lower lip. When the kiss ended, Rory smirked triumphantly.

"Hah, no man can a pouting Gilmore girl"

Finn grinned and kissed her again, this time more passionately, and after only seconds, his hands were travelling over her body. Their breathing got heavier, and in a matter of minutes, they were well on the way to making Finn's sheets even messier.

* * *

Around noon Finn walked her home, they passed the coffee cart, and he bought her two large coffees. They walked through the campus in almost complete silence, only broken by a few short sentences. For the first time ever Rory was okay with it, with just being silent. Usually she would try to fill the silence with words, more or less meaningful words, but with Finn, the silence didn't seem threatening. He had his arm around her, and again the feeling of security she got when being close to him surprised her.

Every now and again, she looked at Finn. He looked like he was deep in thought, and when they reached her dorm he held her back. He kissed her lightly on the lips, and dragged her into an embrace. He looked at her for a couple of seconds and then tugged a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"What happened that morning… It won't happen again, will it?" he said quietly.

She shook her head; she had the feeling that it was really important for him to talk this through. He nodded, and his eyes skimmed over her face as if to catch any sign of insecurity. When he didn't find any he spoke again.

"Good," he tugged her a little closer and kissed her on the forehead "I don't think I could take it"

She looked at him intently, but didn't say anything; she just waited for him to speak. He cleared his throat and mumbled something she couldn't make out. He sucked air in through his teeth and repeated it.

"I like you," he thought for a second and then added "a lot. And I don't want us to be… well, not talking. In fact I want us to talk about everything, all the time and I don't want to talk with everyone else"

She looked at him as if he had just dropped out of the sky and landed in front of her, it was clear to him that she had no clue what the hell he was talking about. He sighed at the view of having to explain it clearer, of having to actually ask her. Distracted he fondled with a lock of her hair, twisting it around his fingers, and pulling on it lightly. She was still giving him the 'what-kind-of-alien-are-you?' look.

"I want us," he let go of her and motioned back and forth in the air between them "together!"

Realisation spread on her face, and so did a big smile. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. _Oh, the kiss of death_, the thought went through his brain like a speeding bullet. She smiled at him, _to soften the blow…_

"I thought we were," she grinned sheepishly "together I mean. I thought that was what I said yesterday"

He looked relieved.

"You did?" she nodded "We are?" she nodded again "Sure?" she nodded.

"Now this," she motioned to her own nodding head "I'm going to get very tired of this, very soon!"

He took a firm grip on her hips, and drew her closer. She stopped nodding, and instead she looked him deep in the eye. He looked happy, smiling, and it forced her to do the same, he had that power. He bent in over her, and kissed her softly on the lips. She raised herself onto her toes and leaned into his kiss, their lips softly bumping into each other, and his tongue tracing over her bottom lip. She opened her mouth and let him in, and he tugged her even closer. She could feel him against all the front of her body, and everywhere they didn't touch, she felt cold.

"Could you not do this here?" Paris had opened the door without them noticing "I don't need my gag reflex tested, it works just fine, and if you don't take that elsewhere I'll prove it to you!"

Finn and Rory broke apart, but they still stayed close, Finn rested his head on her forehead.

"I think your roommate just threatened to throw up on us," Finn mumbled.

"I think you're right" Rory tried to fight her need to laugh.

"Would she actually do it?" Finn shot Paris a sideward glance.

Rory tried to answer, but Paris interfered. She was giving Finn her best evil eye, and the mock-terrified look on his face was priceless.

"I'm premed, don't even think that it would gross me out" she looked very serious.

Finn looked back at Rory, he no longer looked mocking, just slightly amused.

"I think I better go, I just shined my shoes. I'll see you later Kitten. I'll be here at 7."

He moved his head up and kissed her on the forehead; he gave Paris a small wave, and started walking down the hall. Rory chuckled and yelled after him.

"That better mean 7.30"

Paris stuck her head through the doorway, and joined in.

"And you'd better be ready for round two"

Finn turned around and smiled at Rory.

"7.15" and then addressed Paris "I will be, but be warned… I'm fearless"

He turned and literally skipped down the hallway, something that made Rory laugh and Paris roll her eyes. Just before he turned the corner, he turned, lifted an imaginary hat of his head and sank into a deep bow.

"Right," Paris mumbled, "so is the dog!"

Rory shoot her a wide grin, and Paris looked back with annoyance written all over her face.

"So, that was Finn" she grumbled "aggravating guy"

Rory's smile just grew wider.

"I'm so glad you approve!"

* * *

She was going to a party that he and some friends threw, he had already invited her the second night they spend together. It was a twenties costume party, and she was looking critically at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a bottle green dress with a deep v-neck that came down to just under her knee. It was in two layers, the bottom layer was satin, and the top layer was thin silk in a slightly lighter shade of green. It had a wide glass pearl embroidered silk ribbon in the neckline, and a matching one over the hips. She had made pin curls, with the gracious help of Paris, and had a black lace ribbon with a few peacock feathers sewn on it around her head. She was almost done with her make up when the doorbell rang. She looked at the clock and cursed loudly. It was exactly 7.15. She stumbled through the common room, while she was trying to strap on her black, high heeled Mary Jane's. She opened the door, wearing only one shoe and looking annoyed at the perpetrator. Finn looked back with a defrosting smile.

"Hey Kitten, ready to go?"

He looked great wearing a black tuxedo and a long dark brown coat, but there was one thing she thought was a bit strange.

"Finn, you look great" she frowned "but what's with the hat?"

He grinned and lifted the shabby looking black, soft dress hat he was wearing. It made him look like a gangster, but a very charming one.

"You'll see Kitten, its all part of the theme" he winked at her, and looked her over "and by the way forget about how I look, you look fantastic!"

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips before he tugged a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She smiled, and he tried kissing her again, but instead she held on to his shoulder to get on her other shoe, and then she walked out into the bathroom to finish up.

"Not fair!" he yelled after her.

She sniggered at her own reflection in the mirror, when she was done applying her make up. She was so happy that she had met Finn. After the fiasco with Jess in her last year at Chilton, she hadn't really expected to fall in love like that again, but now she was slowly falling, and she didn't fight it.

"Now where are we actually going?" she said to Finn as she walked back into the common room.

He smiled at her, she was possibly the most beautiful girl to have ever been wearing a twenties dress, he was sure of that. Her eyes were glowing in a way that made his knees shiver.

"You'll see when we get there"

He walked over behind her and gave her a kiss on her collarbone. He could feel the light tremble that passed through her body, and for a couple of seconds he had to fight the urge to pick her up, and carry her to her room. Instead, he handed her jacket, and lead her to the door with one hand resting on the small of her back.

* * *

The chauffer had driven them to a shadier part of New Haven, a place she had never been before, and a place she was certainly never going to tell her grandparents she'd been. He had dropped them of at the end of a long alley, and Finn told him that he'd call when they needed him again. Finn took her hand and started walking down the alley, she felt a bit uneasy with the situation since it was a very dark and creepy alley, but then remembered, it was Finn, who had a firm grasp on her hand and he would never take her anywhere dangerous. They walked to the end of the alley, and Finn knocked on a door. A slide in eyelevel was opened, and someone asked Finn a question Rory couldn't hear.

"It does if the Lion's asleep," Finn mumbled through the slide.

The door was opened, and Finn pulled her through it. She expected something as shabby-looking as outside, but she was surprised. The room they stepped into was huge, it had dark wood panels on the walls and where they were currently standing there was a thick dark, red carpet on the floor. On the parts of the floor that was carpeted there were little, round tables, and chairs everywhere, all in dark wood. There was a band in one corner, a piano, a bass, a trumpet, a clarinet and a sax, and in front of the band, there was a dance floor covered with hard, dark wood. The dance floor was covered with people, all wearing twenties out fits, and dancing Charleston. Finn raised his hand and waved at some people across the room, she recognised Logan and Colin, but none of the others. Finn made some gestures towards the bar, and Logan nodded his head. Finn let his hand slip up onto her back, and led her through the crowd to the bar. When they got there, he leaned in and ordered.

"A Whiskey Sour," he looked questioning at Rory, but she just shrugged. "And a Manhattan"

The bartender put their drinks in front of them, and they both took a sip.

"Do you like it?" Finn motioned around the room.

"I love it," she had to speak very loud because of the music "You've made a speak-easy. It's amazing"

Finn smiled, he leaned in over her and kissed her passionately. Her eyes were shimmering, and it made him smile even wider. He loved that she was so easily exited. He kissed her again, and when they broke apart, Logan was standing next to them with a big smirk on his face.

"Another round at our table, please" he addressed the bartender, and then turned to the couple next to him "Aren't you coming down to keep me company, or are you just going to stand here all night with your tongues down each others throat? I'm lonely down there, Colin is making a fool of himself trying to score with Juliet as usually, and I don't think Steph's new boyfriend likes me very much." He ranted in a pouting voice.

They took pity on poor Logan, and followed him to the table after having refreshed their drinks. The mood at the table was light, everybody was already slightly intoxicated, and Finn introduced her to the people who were sitting at tree round tables that were drawn together.

"This is Steph, another old friend of mine like the two children who normally hang around in my common room"

"Hey!" Colin interrupted, tearing his attention from Juliet for a second.

Finn ignored him completely.

"She'd better introduce her current boyfriend herself"

"This is Calvin" the pretty blonde pointed to the guy next to her, she gave Rory a sweet smile "It's nice to finally meet you"

Rory got the feeling that she could make good friends with this girl, she seemed nice, really nice, and her being one of Finn's oldest friends was just a benefit.

"That is Juliet, but after Logan's little outburst I expect you guessed that" he smiled "That grumpy looking fellow over there is Robert, you wont like him, but he wont like you either" the last part was said under his breath "The redhead next to him is Rosemary, my one and only countrywoman. That's Ethan, also know as the most boring man on earth" everybody grinned loudly at that, and Ethan didn't look the least bit angry. As the laughter died out Finn continued.

"In short, Rory, this is everybody. Everybody this is my girlfriend, Rory"

A chocked silence fell over the tables as Finn uttered the word girlfriend. The first one to react was Steph; she flew up from her chair, and gave them both a hug. Afterwards she looked a little surprised in herself, but she made Calvin scoot over and offered Rory the seat next to her. Finn also sat down, and in less than seconds, he was engrossed in conversation with Logan and Ethan. Steph leaned over to her.

"I'm so glad that Finn found someone that seems normally intelligent for a change, the last redhead was a tramp. I just hope we'll become friends"

Steph smiled, and Rory couldn't help but smile back. In a while, they entertained each other, or more precisely Steph entertained Rory with stories of Finn's former improprieties. Later Finn disturbed them; he had left his chair and was now standing behind Rory, caressing her neck lightly. He bent down and whispered in her.

"Come dance with me"

Rory felt a shiver down her spine as the air from his expiration hit her on the ear. She smiled apologetic at Steph, and followed him to the dance floor. There was a slow song playing, and she sank into his arms feeling relaxed and comfortable. Truth be told she was a little drunk. They were dancing slowly over the floor, almost floating. He was a great lead; she just floated along with him. Suddenly the music stopped, but they didn't notice, people around them started counting down from ten, and as they reached one and started their happy New Year wishes, his lips hit hers. They broke apart fast, as the crowd around them started singing 'Auld Lang Syne' and they joined in. Rory felt an arm link with hers, and looked to the side to see Logan and Steph's smiling faces. She smiled back. She felt at home with them, and she smiled back.


	8. Eight Maids Amilking

**A/N; **0kay, so this might be the last chapter for a while. The thing is that my computer seems to have gotten a mental illness of some kind… This means that half the keyboard is malfunctioning, I'm getting it fixed, but it might take a long time, I don't know yet… Maybe it didn't like coffee after all… **  
**

**Eight Maids A-milking**

She woke up late the next morning. They had kept the party going till five in the morning, and she and Finn had been amongst the last to leave. They had driven back to her dorm, and she had fallen asleep in the couch, at least she was pretty sure of that, so Finn must have carried her into her bed. She didn't feel his arms around her, and when she turned he wasn't there, but there was a note on the bedside table, she yawned and took it.

'It's 10.35, I'm going to get changed, and then I'll bring breakfast. I suspect that you're hung-over; the trick is not to move around too much. I'll be back really soon.'

She looked at the clock, it was 11.17 now so he should be back at any moment, and she really needed a shower. She sat up, but immediately regretted her rash decision. The whole room seemed to be spinning, and she got nauseous. The last time she been drunk, the night she met Finn for the first time, she had slept till late in the afternoon, and she had the feeling that the sleeping had saved her from the worst hangover. She lied back down, and swallowed hard a couple of times, which seemed to help. Closing her eyes and breathing steadily apparently also helped, and in less that a minute she had fallen back asleep.

The next time she woke up was because of noise from the common room, and shortly after Finn entered the room.

"How are you feeling?"

He came over and sat down on the bed next to her, and took her hand. He started tracing small circles over it with his thumb.

"I think I moved around too much" she sighed, making her best pout.

"Stupid girl, I tell you not to, and then of cause you just have to do it" he shook his head at her, and looked disappointed "Why didn't you just believe me?"

She grinned.

"I really wanted a shower"

"Hah," he almost shouted, "Screw hygiene, eat first, and then shower"

He lifted her carefully from the bed, and carried her into the living room, where he put her down on the couch. The coffee table in front of her was cowered in food, junk food. There were takeout boxes from every junk food place in New Haven, and from every corner of the world. And of cause a takeaway tray with four giant cups of coffee. Finn gave it all a critical look, and then he turned to her.

"You see, everybody has their own personal hangover food, and I realized I didn't know what yours was" he looked devastated.

"Well, that makes two of us," she smiled "I haven't really been hung-over before"

This made Finn look slightly shocked.

"Ooh, a virginal hangover, I haven't experienced one of you for years" he grinned "That's even better, then we get to figure out what you hangover food is, that's fun!"

Rory didn't quite agree with this statement when she'd tried radishes with cream cheese (apparently Finn's older sister Vanessa's favorite), and the disagreement became even worse after pepperoni pizza and blue Kool-Aid (Logan's) but when she stopped trying things she never would have eaten in a non-hung-over state she started enjoying herself as much as Finn did. He joked around, and mixed weird things for her to eat. After a while, he fell silent and just sat there and looked at her.

"I just realized something," he said and pulled his legs up under himself "You're my girlfriend, but I don't really know much about you"

She stopped eating, and imitated his position.

"What would you like to know?" she felt like she was willing to tell him everything.

"I don't know silly things I think. Stupid things you did as a child, stupid things you've done in the last six months. Something like that. I tell you one, and then you tell me one, deal?"

She nodded, and waited for him to start. He took his time, pretending that it was hard to choose. When he finally spoke, she couldn't help but laugh at his words.

"When I was 8, I was terrified of rabbits"

After she had regained her breath, she was able to cough out a few words.

"Rabbits? You were afraid of innocent little bunny rabbits?"

"Well yeah," he tried to regain his composure "I was a very impressionably young lad, and Jessica made me watch 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail', she told me that all rabbits was like that monstrous beast"

"Jessica?" Rory asked.

"Another sister, I have four. There are Vanessa and Valeria, twins and three years older than me. Vanessa was the one who taught me to take a shot without whining, and Valeria taught me not to throw up afterwards. Jessica's a year and a half older than me, and I suspect she told me the bunny-story to keep me away from her rabbit Stomper's cage, because that's where she kept her diary. The youngest is Lacey Rose; she's 14 and she my absolute favorite. She's just like me, crazy, insane, and hilarious" he smiled.

"Did you read your sisters diary?" Rory tried to sound shocked, but ended up mostly sounding amused.

"Of cause I did, all of them, except Lacey Rose's" he grinned evilly "It was steamy stuff"

"So, why didn't you read Lacey's?" she asked, having a feeling that she already knew the answer.

"Ew, that's my little sister, there are some things you just don't want to know!"

She laughed and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, men were so obvious sometimes.

"Your turn" Finn was smiling from ear to ear when she leaned back.

"Okay," she dragged the word out forever "but you have to promise me not to laugh"

"No promises," he smiled "you laughed to me, remember?"

She frowned.

"Okay. I was hit by a dear once" she paused "It was really weird, it just jumped out of the woods, and right into my mother's jeep. I missed a test because of it" her voice was indignant.

Fin didn't just laugh, he practically screamed. He lost his balance and fell of the couch he was laughing that hard. She sent him an annoyed look, and when she spoke, her voice sounded snippy.

"Well, nobody ever believed me anyway"

Finn climbed back onto the couch, and took her pouting face between his hands. She refused to look at him, when he tried to catch her eye she looked away.

"Come on Love," he managed to catch her eye "It's not that I don't believe you. It's just that Jessica told me the exact story once, only she claimed a dingo hit her. She even made me go out and look for it"

"I did that with my mother!" Rory exclaimed.

"Did you find it?" he sounded hopeful.

"No, did you?"

"Nah, I really hoped you did though. Then there would have been at least one good ending to this story." He gave her a sad smile.

They sat back again, and Finn continued the game of I-tell-you-mine-you-tell-me-yours.

"Okay," he rubbed his chin, and glanced up at the sealing for a second "Right, I got one! I went to boarding school when I was 11, that's where I met Colin and Logan, and we immediately became friends. There was this teacher, he had the worst hairpiece ever, and he was really cruel to the weaker students. So we decided to take revenge on him one day, when he'd been really bad to one of our classmates David. The teachers lived around the on school grounds in these little houses; we mainly just walked in and out of them no questions asked, because we had different extra classes or after school activities that went on at the teachers place. So anyway, we knew that Mr. Graham, despite all his reason, was a very superstitious man. And for months, we went into his house, and rearranged things. His wasn't married, but he never locked his door, and when he started to we had made a copy of his keys." Finn smiled sadly "I think Colin even managed to dye his favorite hairpiece once."

Rory gaped, and Finn continued. You could hear the remorse in his voice.

"We didn't realize what kind of an effect we had on the man, until he started showing up for class all scruffy-looking and smelling of garlic. The other teachers even started talking about him, and they didn't care if a student heard, normally that was an unspoken agreement between them, 'speak all you want, but don't let the students hear'."

They were silent for a while, and then Rory spoke:

"What happened to him?"

"He left, we were never told whereto. Looking back at it now I feel really bad, but we didn't realize we were messing with his mind, and even if we had known, at the time we thought he deserved it" he smiled apologetic "Your turn, something happy this time, please!"

She thought about it, and smirked.

"I had a crush on my 1st grade English teacher!" she laughed.

"Why's that so funny?" Finn was thrown of, he didn't understand her laughter.

"Well, HER name was Miss Jones," it was Finn's turn to gape "and I used to dance around our living room in a pink tutu to Frank Sinatra singing 'Have You Met Miss Jones'"

Rory was laughing so hard that she choked on the piece of sweet and sour chicken, and Finn had to pat her on the back and tell her to breathe and relax. When she was back to breathing normally, she put the takeaway box back down on the table.

"Right, that was another thing that's not going to be my favorite hangover food" she frowned "It's far too chokeable"

"Is that even a word?" Finn asked.

"Of cause it is, just like snowylicious and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"

"Have I told you lately that you are absolutely insane?" Finn asked, keeping a perfectly straight face.

Rory pretended to think about it.

"No"

"It must have slipped my mind then, cuz you are! What's next gonna be, are you gonna jump out the window and fly of with your umbrella?"

She grinned, and shook her head.

"Nope, but I might start singing follow the rag rug road, and dance of to the bathroom. You promised I could take a shower as soon as I'd eaten something"

He jumped up from the couch, and held his hand out to her, she grabbed it, and he pulled her up form her sitting position. She didn't expect him to pull her up, and lost her balance as he did which resulted in her stumbling right into her arms. He held her there for a bit, before whispering in her ear in a husky voice:

"Just lead the way Dorothy"

He tilted his head a little, and nibbled on the skin just under her ear. He held his hands on her hips, trying to pull her closer, but she resisted. She took a step back, and danced around him humming the tune from 'We're off to see the Wizard'. Finn followed her, and parked himself leaning on the doorframe. She had started getting undressed, but when she turned and saw him standing there, she paused and blushed.

"What'ya doing" she mumbled, feeling a bit stupid.

"Looking at you," he said, not leaving the doorway.

"Could you maybe not do that?" she blushed even more.

"Love" he said, coming into the room and closer to her "It's not like I haven't seen you naked before"

She shook her head, and her eyes fixed at one little tile in the floor.

"I know, this is just… different somehow" she could hear how irrational she sounded, but it was too late to take her words back.

"Would it change if I did this?"

He came up very close to her and started unbuttoning her pajama shirt, his fingers moved fast, and even I she had been able to stop him, she probably wouldn't have, it was like the light touch of his fingers soothed her. When he was done, he pushed the shirt back over her shoulders, and it fell to the floor behind her. His burning hot fingers followed the way it had, running down her arms, and then shifted over to running up her back. Just as she felt comfortable with her nudity, and his touch, he took a step back, moving away from her. Again, she felt very nude. He stood about two feet away, and she could literally feel his eyes move over her, but she didn't look up. After having stood there for a while, she felt forced to look up. He had an admiring look in his eyes, which were fixed on her body. She suddenly didn't feel as uncomfortable as she did before, and the places his eyes touched seemed to burn. Instead of covering up, she took of the rest of her clothes and turned on the shower. She stepped in under the warm jets of water, and allowed them to heat up her body; she kept her eyes closed trying not to let Finn's stare get to her. She started to wash her hair, and soon, she felt long, strong fingers running through her hair, over her body, setting her on fire. He had joined her in the shower. She felt like screaming out the desire that rolled through her body. He was the only person in the world who had ever made her feel like this desirable, this free, this alive, and this wanted.

"Do you have any idea how amazingly beautiful you are. You are the most perfect woman I've ever laid eyes on" he whispered.

His voice in her ear was very soft, and caused a shiver to crawl down her spine. She turned to him; eyes now open, on longer fearing his reaction on her naked body. She smiled and let her arms snake up around his neck, he smiled back at her.

"You know, you aren't too shabby yourself" she grinned.

He tugged her closer, and soon she lost herself in the kiss they shared.


	9. Nine Ladies Dancing

**A/U: **Okay, so I'm sorry it took so long for me to update... I have a lot to do with school, student politics, our weekly pokergame, and just hanging with my friends...And honestly, my muse has been less than cooperative lately, loosing my stories was tougher than expected... Any how I'm doing my best to get up to speed, but it will take some time for me to do so...

Be safe, and enjoy...

**Nine Ladies Dancing**

They were out buying food and candy, since there could be no movie night without either. Last night Logan had called, and they had agreed on meeting up for a movie night the next day. Logan, Colin, and Steph would be at Rory's dorm in around an hour, and right now Finn and Rory was pressed for time. They had just finished picking out the candy and junk, skittles, juju bees, red vines, pixie sticks, salt and vinegar and ketchup chips, but they still needed to pick out the movies, and to pick up burgers, fries and onion rings.

"Okay," Rory sighed, "forget about the burgers, we'll just order some take-out"

Finn pouted, he had really wanted burgers, but he knew she was right, it would take an inhumanely effort for them to pick up both burgers and movies in less than an hour. They hurried into the nearest video store, and started looking around.

"So, what did they say they'd like to watch?" Rory was snooping around in the thriller section.

"They didn't really care, all they said was that they drew the line at two movies"

Rory pouted, but then she lit up.

"I got it then," she sounded exited "'Dr. Strangelove'," she held the cover up for him to see "and 'Lolita'"

He looked confused.

"If we're doing Kubrick, couldn't we get something else?"

She had told him about how she and her mom picked out their movies to match a certain theme, and the only connection he could see between those two movies was the fact that Stanley Kubrick directed them both. Rory shook her head, she had located 'Lolita', and they were now on their way to the cash register.

"Its not just Kubrick" she gave him a sneaky smile "We're doing a double tribute, to make up for only renting two movies"

He was truly confused, but just paid for the movies and followed her out of the store searching the movie covers for some clue as to who she was talking about, but he found nothing. As he got behind the wheel, she took pity on him.

"Peter Sellers" she just said, as if that explained everything.

"What about him?"

"He's in both movies!" she sighed.

Finn looked even more confused. He had seen both movies, but had no memory of Peter Sellers appearing in 'Lolita'

"He plays both Claire Quality and the school psychologist" she smiled at him.

Finn shook his head before he turned the key in the ignition, he backed out of the parking spot and drove out of the parking lot before he answered her.

"Who knows stuff like that?" his voice was bubbling over with laughter.

"I do!" she sounded as if she was trying to convince him that it was perfectly normal.

They drove in silence the last 5 minutes back to Yale, and after he had parked, he leaned over and kissed her on her nose.

"You're nuts" he tugged her hair behind her ear.

"No, I'm not" she smiled.

"Yes, you are"

He jumped out of the car, and went to open her door for her, completely ignoring that she again came with a disagreeing comment. They entered her dorm room, and she threw the bags on the couch, before following them, slightly less gracefully. She sprawled her body across most of the couch, and took up all the room that the bags left empty.

"So tired" she whined "need coffee!"

Finn grinned and went to make coffee. He started the coffee, and then went to find some take-out brochures. He knew that Rory kept a bunch in the top drawer of her desk, and he went in there to find some. The doorbell rang just as he had left the room, and he could hear her groan. He found the brochures, while Rory got up and to open the door. He took a handful of them from the drawer, and only in passing noticed the book that was lying under them before he walked back into the common room. Steph and Rory were sitting with legs crossed on the couch talking, and Logan and Colin was still in the door bickering. Finn went over to the coffee table and threw the brochures on it.

"Right guys," he yelled, to drawn out Logan and Colin's bickering "Come and pick your poison"

After half an hour of arguing about whether to get Italian or Chinese, they finally agreed on Moroccan, and Finn made the call, ordering everything on the menu. They sprawled themselves around the room, and put on the first movie. Finn and Rory were cuddled up in one end of the couch, Colin was sitting in the chair, and Logan was in the other end of the couch, with Stephanie sitting on the floor between his legs. Halfway through 'Lolita' Rory noticed that Logan was caressing Stephanie's hair, and she gave Finn a saying look. He followed her eyes, and looked a little surprised. As he looked back at Rory, she could clearly see that he had no idea what was going on. They returned to watching the movie, but every now and again Rory's attention swayed and went to the couple in the other end of the couch. All through the movie Logan was fiddling with Steph's hair, and she didn't seem to mind, on the contrary she leaned her hear back into his lab, and closed her eyes for a minute. Rory couldn't help but wonder where Calvin was, and why he was even in the picture. Steph didn't seen to be very interested in him, and he was a bit of a stiff.

Exactly when 'Lolita' was over, their takeout arrived, and instead of putting on the second movie while they ate, they decided to wait till they were done. Rory arranged the food on the coffee table and went to get some plates while Finn opened a bottle of red vine he had bought. When Rory returned to the common room there were three opened bottles on the coffee table, and Colin, Logan and Steph already had a glass each. Finn was pouring another glass, and handed it to her after she had put down the plates. Then he poured one for himself.

"Cheers mates," he said and raised his glass.

"Cheers" the rest of them fell in, and they clinked their glasses over the coffee table.

"To youth!" Logan cried out in a sudden fit of euphoria.

"To being single!" Steph joined in, earning looks of surprise from everybody. She shrugged "He didn't seem to like how close I was to you guys."

"To freedom!" Colin sounded slightly amused.

"To happiness!" Finn's voice was more serious, and he shot a look in Rory's direction.

As everybody turned to her, awaiting her toast, Rory smiled. She had a feeling that they expected something solemn, some profound truth, and she cleared her throat.

"To red vine!" she proclaimed in a grave voice.

For a second they just looked at her, disbelievingly, and then Steph broke into a fit of laughter. Logan and Colin shook their heads and glared at her, and Finn threw an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Now that's something I can toast to!" he exclaimed happily and held up his glass.

Soon all their glass was raised, and they all joined in.

"To red vine"

Instead of watching the last movie, they ended up sitting on the floor around the coffee table, eating and of cause drinking the vine, and a bottle of scotch that Colin had brought with him. The girls decided to make Irish Coffee, and went into the kitchenette to make coffee. While Rory found the coffee tin, and Steph poured water on the coffeemaker they had a serious talk. It was Rory who initiated it, not knowing how to cover up her question, she just attacked it right on.

"So, no more Calvin?" it was a rhetorical question, and Steph picked up on it. She just nodded "It was because of Logan, wasn't it?"

Stephanie looked shell-shocked for a moment, and then nodded.

"Is it that obvious?" her voice was barely a whisper.

Rory smiled and shook her head.

"I doubt that anyone else has noticed" she said and smiled "that'll be, maybe Finn has now"

Steph gave a weak smile.

"I had never thought that he would be the first of them to realize it, he's always walking around in his own little alcohol induced, rose colored world." She giggled, and then looked dead serious "Do you think Logan knows?"

Rory smiled at her, the blonde didn't strike her as an insecure person, but right now she seemed completely lost. She handed Steph a cup of steaming hot coffee, and smiled again.

"No, I don't" Steph looked as if she couldn't decide if that was a good or a bad thing "But I don't think he would have a too bad reaction to it if you told him, I think that your feelings are mutual"

Steph thought about it for a while, and then she shook her head and shrugged.

"Maybe," she smiled "but not now. I need to gather the nerve to do so"

Rory grinned to her, and they gathered the stuff they needed, before they again joined the boys in the common room. Rory made her drink, and sat back down on the floor between Finn's legs. Steph sank down next to Logan, and his arm found its way behind her, resting on the couch. They talked a little longer, and then decided to play a game of Monopoly, mainly because it was the only game Rory had. Colin was a real master at the game, and of cause, he and Logan ended up in an argument over who won, and whether or not Colin had cheated during his turn as head of the bank. They ended up throwing the pieces after each other and hitting Stephanie in the eye with the little shoe, which made her yell and give them a motherly talking too. This lasted till she noticed Finn was making faces behind her back, and that this was why neither of the other guys would stop laughing. At first she tried to act angry, but looking at the boys who were lying on the floor clutching their bellies couldn't do anything but make her smile. A couple of hours later they were all royally wasted, and Colin, Logan, and Steph decided to leave the loving couple alone. The three of them swayed dangerously out the door, arms locked, and singing 'We are the Champions' at the top of their lungs. After having closed the door behind them Finn threw himself in one corner of the couch, and Rory climbed up and joined him. He was halfway lying down, and she climbed up his body, till she could rest her head on his chest. She settled in, listening to his heartbeat, strong and steady like clockwork. Finn breathed in and out slowly, his hands running up and down her back before burying them in her hair. He sighed out in silent contentment, and squeezed her a little closer, and then he remembered the how Logan and Stephanie had looked at and touched each other tonight.

"Do you think something is going on between Logan and Steph, Kitten?" he mumbled into her hair.

There was no reply. He looked down at her, and realized that she had fallen asleep. She was looking completely peaceful, silently breathing in and out, and wrinkling her nose as a small tread from his woolen sweater tickled it. He smiled gently, and stroked her hair. It only took five minutes for him to fall asleep too, the weight of her soothing him, and making him feel protective and important. He couldn't help but think about how he had earlier sworn that he would never fall in love. That he would never submit himself to the possible hurt that love might bring him, but he didn't even think about that anymore, it was like she had removed all his fears and doubts about love, and he had no regrets anymore. The only thing that mattered was her, and that she was with him. And slowly he dozed of, with a smile spreading over his face. They lay there, arms around each other and her head on his chest, deep asleep, till the sun started pouring through the window, and a lonely bird twittered a tune outside.


	10. Ten Lords Aleaping

**A/U: **Okay, so I am aware that I have taken forever getting this done, but I am simply too busy… As I have told you earlier I have gotten involved in student politics, I have exams biting my ass soon (Syntax, among other cruel things), and I have just been told that I have been picked to be a tutor for our new students in the fall…

I simply have too much to do, but I will try to get another chapter up in a month or so… If you have also been reading 'It Still Matters' I am sorry, but I have no news as of yet… The chapter just doesn't seem to be going my way…

**Ten Lords A-leaping**

Rory was standing outside Steph's door the next afternoon. They had decided to go shopping, which was really a bad lie to cover up the fact that Steph needed to talk, and 'shopping' was the only thing they were sure the boys would not wish to join in on. She knocked lightly on the door, and a small brunette opened it.

"Hi," Rory greeted her "I'm here for Stephanie?"

The girl gave her a critical look, a hint of recognition appeared in her eyes, and then she put on a sour face.

"Steffi!" she called into the room, and left the door without asking Rory to come in.

Stephanie came into the common room with a frown on her face, but when she saw Rory she lit up. She opened the door wider, and allowed Rory to come in.

"Welcome to the Maxi Pad!" she exclaimed.

She half stumbled through the room, apparently looking for a shoe to match the one she had on the left foot. She ducked down behind the couch, where she located her shoe, and on the way back up she made a face at the other girl, who was now sitting in the couch with her nose buried in a fashion magazine, and Rory held back a laugh. Steph threw on a coat, picked up her purse, and joined Rory in the door.

"I'm leaving" she said to the brunette, and slammed the door after herself. "Can't stand her… She has a thing for Finn, so she probably won't think much of you either"

Rory gaped, she wasn't really used to people being so straightforward, and she didn't even know Steph that well. Also the fact that some strange girl had a crush on her boyfriend kind of threw her of. Steph smiled and Rory relaxed. When they started walking down the hall, Steph linked her arm with Rory. And smiling at each other they went on, chatting and laughing.

The girls took their time shopping through most of the stores they passed, and after a couple of hours they both needed a break. They decided to go into a café and get some coffee, and when they sat down, Rory finally mustered up the courage to ask about Logan. She drowned half of her triple espresso, and cleared her throat.

"So, about Logan…" the sentence just hang there, fluttering in the air between them, so loud that you could almost hear it, like a hummingbirds wings beating 1000 times a second.

Stephanie sighed. She tried to drag out time, fumbling with her spoon, and tugging hair behind her ear. When there was nothing more she could occupy her hands with, she locked eyes with Rory.

"Okay" she mumbled "it's ridicules really. I guess Finn has told you that Logan is my cousin?"

"Yes, and that's why I'm a little confused." Rory almost shrieked "He was teasing me this morning, saying that I was so fixed upon getting people together that I was seeing things"

Steph sniggered.

"Now that sounds like Finn!" She grinned.

Rory frowned at her.

"Anyway," Steph continued "We're not really cousins… My dad married Shira's, that's Logan's mom, little sister. So there are no blood relations. Yay, to come from a broken home. While I busy falling for my 'cousin', my dad is cheating on his thirty-year old wife with a girl my age, and my mom is chasing around after 23-year old cabana boys somewhere in St. Bart's"

Both girls didn't talk for a while, Rory was quietly thanking heaven that her parents never got married and put her in the situation that Steph was in now, then, it was her turn to sigh.

"And now you're not sure if he sees you as a girl, or just as his cousin?"

"Something like that" Steph massaged her temples "I fooled around with Colin before Christmas, just to see if he'd get pissed, but he didn't even react."

Steph looked as if she was on the wedge of tears, and Rory didn't know how to console her.

"Shit!" she muttered, and quickly drew a hand over her eyes "I feel so stupid!"

Rory couldn't do much more than just throw her arm over Steph's shoulders, and give her something that reminded of a hug.

"I still think he has a thing for you too!"

Rory's voice was strong and insistent, and Steph smiled as she looked at her new friend.

"Thanks" she sniffled.

"Don't thank me! Help me figure out how we get him to realize that he likes you instead"

The girls sniggered, and stuck their heads together over their table.

* * *

In the other end of campus, to be more precise in Finn's dorm Colin was watching Logan pace. He always enjoyed seeing Logan get worked up, especially when he was absolutely sure that he had nothing to do with it. He was sitting on the couch clutching a bag of gummy worms and watching Logan's floor show. Logan on the other hand was frustrated beyond belief. He was worried and feeling strange, and to top it of he had no idea why. After having paced up and down in front of the couch for a while, he flopped into it, and wrestled the gummy worms out of Colin's hand.

"Crap!" he mumbled, after having stuffed a handful of worms into his mouth. "Crap! Crap! CRAP!"

"Lemme guess?" Colin clipped "The question is 'What's life?'"

Logan shot him a dirty look, and hit him straight in the nose with a pillow.

"Thank you, but I would prefer if you would not compare my problems with a game show!" Logan snorted not noticing Colin's slightly muffled look, and the hand that he clutched to his sore nose.

The two boys were staring at each other angrily, when Finn entered the room a few minutes later. Colin was armed with a pillow, and was back in possession of the gummy worms. Logan on the other hand had a surprised look to him, almost covered by the angry expression. He looked like he was processing the events that had landed him in this situation. Finn shook his head at them and walked on into the kitchen, were he placed the two grocery bags he had been holding on the counter. Suddenly he heard a loud crash coming from the common room, and pelted in there. Logan was sitting with a shocked expression on his face in the middle of the floor, and Finn reached the room just in time to see Colin flee the room with the gummy worms still clutched securely in his hand. Finn smiled weakly before going over to give Logan a helping hand.

"Mate?" he mumbled, when Logan didn't seen to notice his outstretched hand.

Instead of taking Finn's hand, Logan was just mumbling quietly to himself. The words were so close to silent that even Finn couldn't hear, but after a moment they seemed to be growing in volume, and he caught a few of them.

"…she was…missed her…made me angry…"

Finn shook his head, it was now obvious to him that he would be forced to call the little men with the very long-sleeved shirts on one of his friends at one time before they left college, he might as well get used to the idea. Just as he was about to give up on Logan, the blonde suddenly focused his blue eyes on Finn, and realization spread over his face.

"I like her!" he exclaimed, making Finn choke on the cough drop he was sucking out of pure surprise.

"I like her!" he said again, loud enough to drown out Finn's desperate coughing. "So what the hell do I do now?"

Realizing that Finn was probably the only one able to answer that question Logan jumped to his feet, and started thumping his back. Against all odds this only seemed to make the coughing worse, and he quickly stopped, leaving Finn to get his body back under his control and dry his tearstained eyes.

"You were saying?" he stuttered seconds later, afraid of making Logan wait too long, and thereby making him attack his poor back again.

"I like her, so what do I do now?" Logan looked at him expectantly, and he sighed.

"Mate, if you would be so nice as clarify who the bloody hell you're talking about, maybe that would help!" he barked.

Logan glared at him as if he was an idiot to ask the question.

"Well Steph, of cause"

Finn shot him a confused look, trying to remember why that didn't seem as terribly wrong to him as it should. He had a faint memory of Steph telling him something about the closer relationships in her and Logan's family, but they had most likely both been drunk at the time, and he tended not to remember much of what drunk people told him when he himself was trying to maintain a nice buzz. Despite of his struggle, all he remembered was a few words, something along the lines of "Divorced" and "a slut half my age" and he had no idea why he should consider that extenuating circumstances. His confused look said all of this better than words, and Logan got an overbearing gleam in his eyes.

"Jeez Carl, You really are a wanker, aren't you?" he mumbled and Finn frowned.

"Harsh,… but fair" he returned and Logan continued.

"A couple of weeks ago at the sit-com party Steph got too drunk, and she told you most of our family history."

Finn could feel his eyebrows closing in on each other, and he knew that he had on his thinking-face.

"She told you that we aren't blood relations? That her father married a girl, who in Steph's not so well picked words was half her age, and happened to be my aunt?"

Finn's face relaxed again, and he was able to put the missing words into the conversation again. Steph had been really drunk, and apparently quite… Nostalgic, or something. She had talked with her mother for the first time in five years earlier that day, and it had rendered her in a mood to get royally wasted, and pissed off.

"Oh yeah," Finn mumbled "I remember now"

Logan smiled.

"So?"

"So, what?" Finn was back to being confused.

Logan shook his head, and got a hard grip on Finn's shoulders. He shook him violently back and fourth, while speaking loudly and clearly into his face.

"What do I do about Stephanie? Are you both deaf and dumb today?"

Finn tore loose, and the look on his face was now a little angry, but Logan's frustrated face quickly cooled him down. He sank down into the couch and sighed heavily. The whole situation was completely uncommon to him, and he rested his head in his hands.

"Ask her out for God's sake!" he sighed, not knowing what else to do.

Logan's face lit up, and he speed out the door in less than a second. Finn looked after him, and shook his head. He fished his phone out of his pants pocket, flipped it open, and dialed the by now so familiar number. He waited for her voice, and smiled wide when he heard it.

"Hi Kitten," he didn't wait to let her speak but continued "I take it back, you are not obsessed with matchmaking, you are just perfect."

He listened to her laughter, and then she mumbled a question.

"Yes, he is just as… smitten. He left, like two minutes ago, probably looking for Steph to ask her out."

He could hear through her next words that she was sporting a big smile, and it inspired one to creep across his face too. She told him that Steph had left her about ten minutes ago, to try to find Logan and talk to him.

"I would like to see that meeting." He sniggered.

She told him that she was on her way, if he was interested in company, and he immediately obliged.

"Sure, I'll be waiting impatiently. So you better hurry!"

He hung up, smiling, and looked around. After Colin and Logan's little run-in, the common room was less than tidy, and with a sigh he got up to clean up before Rory showed up.


	11. Author alert

Hello people…

I know it's been forever, but I lost someone last year, and I haven't really been feeling myself since then… A lot of you have encouraged me to keep writing both this story and "It Still Matters" but I can't promise anything… I haven't been feeling like writing these two, but I promise I'll be giving them a look over, and I have been feeling inspired to write lately, so you might see something new from me in the near future…

Thanks to those of you who have been asking about whether or not I'm okay, it's good to know that you care… And I'm okay, or getting there at least…


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